Adrift in Despair
by Midnight C
Summary: (Complete!) Sequel to Against All Odds. A series of nightmares plague Isaac like no other force he's encountered. When the dreams also affect his reality, is there anything that can save him from his sorrow, or is he destined to fall to it?
1. Night Fears

I honestly didn't think I had another GS fic in me after finishing "Against All Odds." However, divine inspiration suddenly hit me when I saw the whopping 80 reviews my first published fic got! ^_^ This is sort of a sequel, sort of not (I think one could understand what's going on without reading my other fic first). I'm aiming to make this one quite different in the general theme and tone of the story, though that may change. This is my first stab at major angst, so wish me luck!

Disclaimer: Don't own Golden Sun; I love Camelot--the whole bit.

**__**

*Night Fears_*_

An endless black stretched as far as Isaac's eyes could see. No light, no dark--just a vast emptiness surrounding him in all directions. A blank slate waiting for something to interrupt it. He strolled a few paces; his footsteps creating an eerie echo that couldn't even begin to fill up the emptiness. Where was he?

"Hello?" he asked timidly as he looked around. What a weird place. It was so hollow and silent, devoid of anything sensory or tangible. Yet it felt familiar, as if he'd been here many times before. But how could that be when this place also felt so foreign?

"Isaac…" 

Someone was calling to him from the depths of the void. He couldn't find the direction of the sound. It seemed to come from everywhere. 

"Isaac…" Now it was close--very close. And that voice…could it be? He slowly turned around and came face to face with his father.

"Dad?" he asked hopefully, a small smile crossing his face. "Is that really you?"

Kyle's face and eyes didn't look the same as Isaac remembered. They were filled with contempt and disappointment, without even a trace of kindness or compassion. "Why, son?" he asked, his deep voice harsh and bitter. "Why couldn't you save me?"

Isaac took several steps back in surprise. It took him a few moments to find his voice. "Dad, I…"

"You failed me, Isaac," Kyle continued. "You failed me and you failed all of Vale. Why did you let us all down when we needed you the most?"

This couldn't be! His father couldn't really believe that, could he? "No, it wasn't like that!" Isaac pleaded, slowly shaking his head from side to side. "I wanted to save you, Dad! I _tried_ to save you!"

"Admit it, Isaac!" Kyle demanded. "Accept responsibility for your actions and admit what you've done. It's your fault! Everything that happened that night is all _your fault_!"

Hot tears welled up behind Isaac's eyes as he slowly crumpled to his knees. It was true. If he had been faster or stronger that night, no one would've had to die or suffer. He'd always believed that, and had been secretly blaming himself all along. "I'm sorry!" was all he could manage to whisper. He meant it with every ounce of his essence. He'd give anything for the chance to go back in time and make things right, to change the course of history and erase that night completely. Not just for his sake, but for the sake of everyone in Vale, nay the world, who had suffered as a result of that terrifying incident.

"Sorry, huh?" Kyle scoffed. "Is that all you can say? You let our village crumble beneath that boulder and all you can do is say you're _sorry_?! You're an embarrassment to me, Isaac! An embarrassment and a failure! A _real_ son would've found a way to be there for me!"

"No, please!" Isaac begged, his voice quivering from the tears stuck in his throat. His heart felt like it was cracking in two. "Forgive me, Dad! Please--forgive me!"

"I will _never_ forgive you for this," his father said with a horrid finality. The words felt like teeth gnawing at Isaac's soul. He missed his father more than words could say, and here he was swearing that he'd never be forgiven for that night. It hurt beyond belief. He looked up at his father again, but Kyle simply turned and vanished into the void without a word.

Soon, another familiar figure appeared before him--that of Dora. "Mom? How'd you get here?"

"That wasn't enough, was it Isaac?" she asked, sounding deeply saddened.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not enough that you let your father die, but then you had to break my heart again by leaving me all alone. Don't you care about me at all?"

Again, shock and sorrow washed over Isaac and he had to gather his wits before he was able to speak. "Of course I do!" he insisted. "But what was I supposed to do? The Wise One said that the whole world was in danger! How could I ignore his request?"

"And running off on an adventure is more important to you than your own mother?" Dora demanded. "You're all I have left with your father gone! How could you abandon me like this? Is that the thanks I get for all I've done for you? You're so _selfish_, Isaac!"

Isaac bowed his head in despair and shame. That was true too--he _was_ a bad son, having failed to save his father's life three years ago and then turning around and leaving his mother all alone when he was handed this crazy quest. They had a right to despise him for making so many mistakes and disappointing them so much. He wanted to set things right with them, to make them proud of him again, but he knew there was no way to make amends for all his failures. Nothing would ever bring his father back. Nothing would ever cure his mother of the loneliness she'd felt in his absence. He was a bad son. He wasn't worthy of their approval. No feeble apology could ever make those mistakes disappear. That was a hard fact.

"Mom, I _do_ love you," he said in desperation. "You believe that, right?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to believe, Isaac. I only know that I can't believe in you anymore." And she too turned and vanished from sight. Isaac hunched over, shaking his head in disbelief as his parents' words resounded in and around his mind. They stung and stabbed at him like lots of tiny daggers. _His fault, his selfishness_, _his burden to bear._ What should he do? How could he make it right?

A hand touched his shoulder, and he glanced over to see Jenna standing above him. "What's the matter, Isaac?" she asked.

"Nothing, Jenna," he said, trying to shove it all off. He couldn't burden her with his problems, not when she'd gone through so much herself.

"Liar," she said playfully. "I know you, Isaac. You can't hide anything from me." She paused, looking around as if there were things in the space to see. "It's about the storm, isn't it? Everyone blames you for what happened that night, don't they?"

"Yes," he said reluctantly.

Jenna smiled. "Well, people say the truth is supposed to hurt." Her expression changed to a combination of sadness and anger. "You didn't save my family that night. It's your fault my parents are gone, and your fault that Felix disappeared for three years and joined up with Saturos!"

"I know," Isaac said miserably. Not Jenna too! This was almost too much to handle. "What do you want me to say to you? Nothing's going to change the past."

She nodded. "I understand that. I was willing to forgive your failures that night, but then you led me into Sol Sanctum and stood idly by while Saturos took me hostage! How could you let that happen, Isaac? I thought I was your friend! I thought I meant something to you!"

"You _are_ my friend! I never intended to lead you into danger, Jenna! I would've saved you from Saturos if the Elemental Star Chamber hadn't collapsed!"

"A likely story," she sniffed. "I decided now that I don't need any friends like you--it would be too dangerous for me! You're _horrible_, Isaac! You think you can protect everyone, but really everyone needs to be protected from _you_!" She rubbed at her eyes. "I hate you! I hate you for dragging me into this mess. I hate you for what happened three years ago. But most of all, I hate you for pretending to be my friend when _you're_ the cause of all my sorrows!"

"Jenna!" Isaac pleaded.

"Don't say anything!" she cried. "I hate you, Isaac! I hate you, I hate you, I hate you!" She ran away into the blackness. No sooner had she vanished from sight than he heard her scream.

"Jenna?" he called. Silence. Deadly silence. He stood up and walked in the direction of the scream. What he found made him want to scream as well.

__

Carnage. Garet, Jenna, Ivan and Sheba all lay slain before him, their blood an intensely bright red against all the blackness. Isaac backed away from the massacre, unable to speak or do anything else. It was so awful he didn't want to see it, yet he couldn't peal his eyes away. His muscles constricted and his head felt like it was spinning. And then he realized he was holding his sword, though he didn't recall drawing it. He looked at the blade and found it coated and dripping with blood. It clattered to the ground. 

"No!" Isaac exclaimed in shock and disbelief, his voice barely audible. That was _his_ sword covered with _their_ blood! It couldn't be true! He would never hurt them--they were his most precious friends. But no one else was here in this void. Who _else_ could've done it? His tunic was covered with their blood too, as if it had splattered there while he did the murderous deed. The spots pressed on his ribcage as if they weighed thousands of pounds. He'd killed them all! He'd killed his _own_ friends with his _own_ hands! _His_ fault, _his_ massacre, _his_ victims. How could he? How could he have let this happen? He couldn't think, couldn't react, couldn't do anything at all. The scene and the realization had him frozen like a statue.

"Isaac…" He quickly whirled, knowing that heavenly voice anywhere. There she was, her soothing, angelic aura radiating off of her in a faint blue light. She penetrated the blank void with her presence, her feathered white wings making her a true vision of the gods. He didn't dare approach her. He already knew that she was there to reprimand him for all of his unforgivable actions.

"Don't say it, Mia!" he begged. "I know it's my fault--I just can't bear to hear you say it!"

Mia smiled gently and took a few steps towards him. "It's OK, Isaac. I would never do anything to hurt you. I love you." She outstretched her arms. "Everything's all right now, I promise."

He almost couldn't believe it. Everything _did_ seem all right after hearing her kind words and seeing her beautiful smile. Isaac embraced her and Mia gladly returned it. For a few moments, all of his guilt and despair melted away as he lost himself in the sense of tranquillity she gave him. That feeling, however, was quickly replaced by utter horror as Mia's body suddenly went limp. She made some sort of shocked cry, but it was very faint. Isaac slipped to the ground with her, cradling her in his arms, and saw the blood coming from behind her head--right where his hands had been.

"No!" he cried. "No Mia--not you too!" 

Tears streamed from her beautiful eyes, and she mouthed a single word--"why?" And then all life silently escaped from her. Her aqua eyes gave a blank, empty stare into his. The blood soaked his hands, running in rivers down his arms and all around him. It felt like a raging inferno.

"**MIA**!" Isaac screamed, his voice thundering over the void. His love, his soulmate, his one and only--he'd killed her! Every drop of her blood that ran over him burned his body and his soul like tongues of the hottest flames of hell. But that couldn't compare to the knives stabbing and ripping him to pieces from the inside out. He clutched her lifeless form tightly, sobbing into her chest. Of all the things his tainted and cursed hands could destroy, why did it have to be this sweet angel? The one thing he wanted to protect more than anything else now dead in his arms. _Why?_

Her body slowly dissolved into blue sparkles and vanished completely. Only her blood remained in a large pool surrounding him, still searing his body. Now he was really alone. But he realized that would be better for everyone. Everything he loved, everything he valued, needed to be protected from his failed and cursed existence. What he wanted to protect ended up being destroyed or hurt in some way--his parents, his village, his friends, and even his love. Truly, they were all better off far away from him, safe from his failures. The best thing he could do for the whole world was to remain alone in this emptiness where he couldn't hurt anyone else. This was his punishment for everything he'd done. Loneliness was all he deserved to have. He stared at his bloodstained hands as they shimmered before his eyes. Now he knew why this place seemed so familiar; it was precisely how the depths of his soul truly felt.

Empty. 

Alone.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

Different from before, right? Just to be clear, this is supposed to be Isaac's nightmare (hence the title "Night Fears"). Anyway, any and all critiques are welcome. Chapter 2 will come as soon as I have enough time away from my obnoxious classes! 


	2. Sanctuary

I think the beginning and end of this chapter teeter on the edge of an R rating! You've been warned…

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, and I'm sure Camelot would be shocked at what we fanfic writers are doing with their characters!

***Sanctuary***

The sun slowly moved across the floor of the little room in the inn, heralding the beginning of a new day. Isaac loved this time of morning. Everything was so peaceful, quiet and unspoiled by the wear of time. A fresh start, a new chance, new possibilities sprawling out before him. That was an even better proposition after the nightmares that had plagued him during his fitful sleep. He'd had many immediately after the storm in Vale, but they'd since become more infrequent. Now they seemed to be coming back in full force, which was particularly odd when everything was going so well. Jenna and Sheba had joined the crew, and they'd discovered what they thought was Lemuria yesterday. Today they would explore to learn more about this place. The villagers were friendly at least, and the inn rates affordable. Everything was fine. Why was he dreaming those old dreams?

The soft, warm body lying beside him shifted a little, curling a leg around his and pulling his thoughts into the present. He idly fingered some of Mia's loose tendrils--they felt like fine silk. There was simply no better way to wake up than by watching that sunrise out the window, feeling her form against his, and hearing only the sound of her breathing. He could lose himself completely in a perfect moment such as this.

"Good morning," Mia said softly.

"Yes it is," he said.

Mia chuckled slightly. "You realize that we have to stop doing this or else we're going to get caught. What would the others say if they found us in such a compromising position?"

"We'd never hear the end of it," said Isaac. "Garet would be teasing me until the sun stops setting." A mischievous grin spread across his face. "They'd never admit it, of course, but I bet they'd be insanely jealous."

"For sure." She rolled over on top of him and kissed him. "I love waking up like this. I wish we could do it every morning."

"I know. So do I." He touched her face with both hands and looked up at those glittering aqua eyes. "You're so beautiful. It's like your eyes draw me into some other world."

Mia smiled. "For someone who doesn't talk much, you sure have a way with words." She laid her head on his chest. Isaac's skin had a sweet, earthy scent like the ground after a rainfall, and she loved to breathe it in. He was running a hand through her hair, and his other arm was keeping her tight to him. She could see their discarded clothes out of the corner of her eye. What had started as a simple goodnight kiss had accidentally escalated into a fit of total passion. These days, now that they were engaged, this kind of thing seemed to happen more often. So far, none of the others had found out about their late-night rendezvous, but if they weren't careful, that might change.

She shut her eyes and lost herself in the soothing, rhythmic motion of his breathing and the steady sound of his heartbeat. He was so warm and his presence so safe. Their love, their desire and devotion for one another, seemed like the answer to all the ills of the world. These moments they shared never lasted long enough to suit either of them. Neither of them had to say a word because they each knew precisely how the other felt. Half asleep in his wonderful aura, she slowly guided her hand down his arm to the hand he had against her lower back and they intertwined their fingers. Bliss. No need to think of anything else besides the feeling of being as one.

"We'd better get going or else someone will find us," Mia finally said.

"Yeah," Isaac agreed, sounding disappointed. He didn't want to leave this spot. He would spend the rest of his life laying here with her if given the chance. "Just a little longer."

She nodded. "All right. Let's hope we aren't pushing our luck."

Just then, as if on cue, there was a knock at the door. "Mia?" came Jenna's voice. "Are you up yet?"

"You locked the door, right?" Isaac whispered in panic. The last thing he needed was for Jenna to find him naked in Mia's bed!

"I'm pretty sure I did…" Mia whispered back. The knob jiggled.

"Hey, why is this door locked?" Jenna asked.

"Uh, I was worried about thieves!" Mia called. "Be right there!" She gathered one of the sheets around her and kicked all of Isaac's clothes underneath the bed, with Isaac himself quickly following. With the coast clear, Mia opened the door.

"Sorry to bother you," said Jenna.

"No problem," Mia said. "I wasn't really asleep. Is something wrong, Jenna?"

"Well, it's sunrise and I can't find Isaac. I went to his room and he wasn't there, and it's still so early! Do you know where he is?"

"I haven't seen him since last night," Mia lied. "He's an early riser, though. He probably went for a walk or something."

Jenna shrugged. "I suppose. I'll wake the others and go look for him. Thanks, Mia."

"Anytime." Mia shut the door and locked it again, heavily sighing in relief. "That was close!"

"Tell me about it!" said Isaac, standing up. He was already half-dressed. "I'd better make an appearance before she gets suspicious." He groped for the rest of his clothes. "This sneaking around keeps getting harder."

"Well at least we aren't on the ship. It's easier when we have our own rooms and don't have to sneak in and out of the captain's quarters."

"Right." He tied his long yellow scarf and kissed her. "I'll see you downstairs in a little bit, OK?"

"OK." She kissed him again several times, not wanting him to leave. It started to build.

"I have to go," Isaac insisted, laughing slightly.

"I know, I know!" Mia said. "I just hate to see you leave!"

"Later, Mia--I promise." One last kiss and he slipped out the door, swiftly shutting it. He needed a bucket of cold water to pour over his head! Mornings should be longer, he decided. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair, shoved the inviting thoughts of Mia out of his mind and headed downstairs.

************

"What are we looking for anyway?" Garet asked.

"Some indication of where we are, of course," Ivan replied. "There must be someone around here who's willing to tell us something."

So far, the Adepts had only found a small cluster of buildings right by the coast, which is where they had spent the night and docked the ship. The people there had been plenty friendly, but unwilling to answer any questions about where they were. And the word "Lemuria" seemed suspiciously taboo. Unable to gather any concrete information, the group had decided to strike out to find some answers. They were walking down a narrow dirt road with thickly packed trees to the right and a sprawling plain to the left with the ocean visible beyond it. Every road led to somewhere. The air had a chill in it as the late autumn wind swirled around them.

"If this is Lemuria, are we going to have to go all the way back to Tolbi and deliver that stuff to Babi?" Garet continued with his mouth full. He was munching on one of the extra rolls they'd purchased at the inn.

"We _did_ make a promise," Isaac said vaguely. "Let's just see if we can find anything first."

"It would suit me if I never saw that man again," said Sheba. "If you intend to go back to Tolbi, just leave me here."

"You really don't like that Babi guy do you?" Jenna questioned.

"Let's see how much _you'd_ like someone who kept you against your will," Sheba retorted. "I don't see you jumping at the chance to see Saturos again."

"Point taken," Jenna said. "Hey, Garet, don't eat all the food! That's supposed to last all day!"

"Just one more, I swear," Garet promised. "You worry too much, Jenna."

"Only when you're around," she grumbled. "What would you do without the rest of us to keep you in check?"

"Hey, I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself," Garet said indignantly. "I'm not the one who got captured by Saturos."

Jenna scowled and punched his arm. "Jerk! You know that wasn't my fault."

"Cut it out, you guys," Ivan begged.

"Were they like this back home in Vale?" Mia asked Isaac. 

"Always," Isaac sighed. The more things changed, the more they stayed the same. He inwardly wondered when Garet and Jenna would get beyond their childish quibbles and admit how they truly felt about each other. But as he held Mia's hand, he figured that admitting to a love was always harder than it seemed from the outset.

Eventually, the narrow road ended in a half-circle of trees with a large stump in the center. "Now what?" Sheba asked. "There doesn't appear to be another path."

"I cannot permit you to go any further," said a mysterious voice. A man with long blue hair and wild eyes stood at the other end of the clearing. He was physically larger than Garet and held a sword in each of his big hands, ready to strike.

"We don't want any trouble," Ivan said quickly. "We're just seeking information about this place."

"That is not yours to have," the man replied. "Outsiders aren't welcome beyond our port. You must leave now or face the consequences."

"Who the hell are you to be threatening us?" Garet demanded.

"Yeah," Jenna agreed. "Look pal, whoever you are, we're prepared to do whatever it takes to get the clues we need."

"Is that so?" the man asked, lifting one blue eyebrow suspiciously.

"Please," Isaac began. "We mean you no harm. All we want is information. We've been searching for Lemuria for quite some time and we were wondering if this was it."

The man narrowed his eyes, but also looked a little astonished. "Very well." He brandished his weapons. "Then I'm afraid I can't let you leave here alive. No one can take our secrets off our fair isle."

"I think he's serious," said Ivan.

"Puh," Garet scoffed, unimpressed. "He might be big, but we've got him outnumbered, right Isaac?"

Isaac wasn't so sure. If this man was the only one charged with guarding the secrets of this land, he had to be very powerful. And there was an aura of energy around him, suggesting that he might be an Adept. A very experienced Adept.

Sure enough, the man threw open his arms and an onslaught of ice scattered the group members in different directions. The sharp, frozen spears nicked Garet and Jenna and sliced off a few of Mia's flowing hairs. The man immediately cast more rounds of the dangerous projectiles to keeps the others distracted so they couldn't retaliate. It was only after the third round that Ivan was able to focus his power and cast Tempest. The blue-haired warrior, however, seemed unaffected and quickly dispatched Ivan with one of his huge blades.

"Ivan!" his friends cried. Mia was already going to him as fast as she could, trying to dodge the constant waves of icicles. Isaac and Garet moved to strike at their adversary with their swords and Jenna and Sheba were desperately searching for a safe spot to attack from. The man just wouldn't let up. He charged Isaac and Garet and knocked away their weapons. He then lifted his swords as if to kill them when he noticed a blue light out of the corner of his eye.

Mia was holding Ivan's head in her lap as the fairy generated by her Ply power healed his wounds. Upon seeing the technique, the man immediately ceased attacking and went over to her.

"That power," he began, looking down at Mia. "That has to be Ply!"

"Yes," Mia said a bit fearfully.

The man dropped his weapons and got on bended knee before her. "I cannot fight another follower of Mercury. The laws of my people forbid it."

"What about my friends?" Mia asked.

"If they are friends of yours, my lady, I cannot fight them either."

The others sighed in relief. Ivan came around and sat up, with Sheba immediately going to his side.

"Well that's good to hear," said Garet. "You're a lot stronger than I thought."

The man smiled. "I should've sensed your Psynergy, but it's been so long since I've encountered another Mercury Adept in battle I must've forgotten how. My apologies."

"No harm done," said Sheba. "Right, Ivan?"

"Yeah," Ivan replied. "So who are you, stranger?"

"My name is Picard," said the man. "Please forgive my rude greeting. It is my duty to ensure that ordinary people don't discover the secrets of Lemuria."

"So we _are_ in Lemuria!" Jenna exclaimed. "I can't believe we made it!"

"Pleased to meet you, Picard," Isaac said. "I'm Isaac, and these are Garet, Jenna, Ivan, Sheba, and Mia."

"Mia…" Picard trailed. He smiled and kissed her hand. "What a fitting name for such a lovely angel."

Mia's face turned a bright crimson. "Thank you."

Isaac suppressed the jealously that suddenly surged through him. Mercury Adept or no, Mia was _his_ fiancee and he didn't like the idea of anyone else kissing her even if only on her hand. And why had she blushed like that? He thought only he had the ability to make her turn that bright a red!

"Well now that you're here," Picard said, "I may as well show you what you've been searching for. Follow me."

He led them to the dead stump in the center of the clearing and he thrust both of his swords into it. The others watched in amazement as some of the thickly packed yet half-bare trees on the far edge of the clearing moved aside, revealing a hidden pathway.

"Unreal!" Ivan exclaimed. "That's incredible!"

"How'd you do that?" Sheba asked.

"Trade secret," Picard replied with a faint chuckle. "This way."

They walked down the path, the trees closing behind them to keep their secret hidden from the rest of the world. After a short trip through the woods, the Adepts arrived at an interesting village. All of the buildings were made of very ancient looking gray stone, as were all of the streets. Colorful banners flew from the top of each structure and a huge castle loomed above it all. At the heart of the village square sat a large fountain flowing with crystal clear water. Many of the people walking about the streets had blue hair like Picard, and their garments were elaborately embroidered with silver and gold thread. None of them had ever seen such decadence save for their ship, which had also come from Lemuria.

"Welcome to Lemuria Village," said Picard.

"This place is amazing!" Jenna said. 

"Fabulous!" said Ivan. 

"I've never seen anything so lovely!" Sheba added.

"Wow…" was all Garet managed to say. He was eyeing some of the food for sale in the marketplace, whose smells were wafting towards the group.

"It's wonderful!" said Mia in awe. "Don't you think so, Isaac?"

Isaac nodded, trying to take all of it in. Picard led them through the streets and made sure they noted some points of interest as they passed. The inn, the blacksmith, the various shops--all of it what one would expect in any normal village, but all of it also reeking of a strange and mystical origin. The other citizens looked curiously at the visitors, but none of them seemed the least bit concerned with their presence, most likely because Picard was with them. The group stopped their tour at the fountain, which had caught Isaac's attention earlier. It was quite large, and at its center stood a statue of an elegant female angel that resembled Mia.

"This fountain is supposed to grant good luck to visitors," Picard explained. "The belief is that throwing in coins or other small objects will have special effects."

"Sounds a little like the Tolbi fountain," Garet observed.

"Hey Mia," Sheba began. "That statue in the fountain looks a little like you, don't you think?"

Mia made a face. "I sure don't see it." She looked at the figure more closely. "Well..._maybe_. Picard, I noticed that many of your villagers have blue hair. Are they Mercury Adepts too?"

"Yes," Picard replied. "Mercury is the founding element of Lemuria. None of us have encountered any Adepts from the outside world in several centuries, particularly members of our own clan. Where do you come from, Mia?"

"A village called Imil in the northern regions. My clan was the guardian of the Mercury Lighthouse."

Picard lifted an eyebrow. "The Mercury Lighthouse you say? Well, that would explain it. Imil must have been founded by the Lemurians who left this place long ago to protect that Lighthouse."

"So Mia's clan was originally from here?" Jenna asked.

"I don't believe it," Mia whispered in surprise. "I'm a descendent of real Lemurians?"

"Wow, Mia, that's wonderful," said Ivan. "To think that you're actually connected to an ancient civilization!"

Mia still seemed flabbergasted. "I don't know what to say. I certainly wasn't expecting to learn anything like this!"

"Don't let it overwhelm you," Picard said kindly, smiling. "Your coming here was fate, Mia. All angels must eventually return to their homeland."

She blushed again, and Isaac's lip visibly twitched. "What do you mean by that, Picard?" he asked, trying not to sound jealous.

Picard laughed slightly. "I'm sorry. 'Angel' is the old word we use for the female members of our clan skilled in healing. It's a rather fitting description for Mia, don't you agree?"

That was certainly true, but Isaac just gave a light shrug so as not to show his inner irritation. Since it was getting late, Picard treated them to dinner at the local inn and set them up with quarters for the night, promising to take them to meet the village leader and explain more about Lemuria tomorrow. After he'd left, the Adepts retired, wishing to be rested for all the discoveries they were bound to make once morning came. Isaac tried not to think about Picard as he readied for bed, since it was completely asinine to believe he posed a threat to his relationship with Mia. After all, Mia wasn't wearing a ring from Picard.

The soft, familiar tap at his door immediately brought about more pleasant thoughts. Mia stealthily crept in, locking the door behind her and smiling broadly. The dim moonlight coming from the window made her glow and also showed the silhouette of the curvy form underneath her white nightgown. Angel indeed.

"Miss me?" she asked.

"Always," Isaac replied. He swept her up and they shared a long kiss. "I'm glad you came."

"Why wouldn't I? I've been looking forward to this all day." She looked into his bright azure eyes. "Is something wrong, Isaac? You were more quiet than usual during dinner tonight."

"No, it's nothing," he said. "Just a little…_distracted_."

She smiled a bit. "Were you jealous of Picard?"

He colored slightly and his muscled tensed. "What? No way! That's silly!"

Mia kissed him. "His flirting was pretty blatant—you don't need to pretend it didn't bother you. I didn't mean to blush at his comments, but I couldn't help it. Maybe it's because he's another Mercury Adept." She traced her finger along his chest and held his gaze. "But you have nothing to fear from him. His words are kind and flattering, but _you're_ the one I want to be with for the rest of time. I love you, Isaac."

"I know," he said, smiling. "I don't mean to feel jealous. I know it's silly to think anything could come between us after all we've been through."

"Don't worry—I think it's natural to feel a little jealous. I can't say I wouldn't be jealous if another girl flirted with you!"

They both chuckled a little. Isaac marveled at how well she understood his innermost feelings. Mia didn't have the ability to read minds yet she always knew what he needed to hear. And he was pretty sure that he also possessed this ability for her. Soulmates could do that. In the joy and safety of each other's presence, they locked themselves in another long kiss and he carried her to the bed.

--------------------------------------------------------------

Argh! I am such a hopeless romantic I make myself ill! Um, anyway, I swear that this story won't be that mushy all the time. I just had to lay the groundwork for what happens later on. I'm sure most of you recognized Picard before I named him. I have no idea what his personality is _really_ like, but the temptation to write him into this story was just too great! ^_^ I'd also like to state that _anything_ about Lemuria and such mentioned within this fic is purely conjecture, and I'm sure most of it will be proved incorrect once the Lost Age comes out in the US. That's all for now—I'll get Chapter 3 up as soon as I can!


	3. The Descent

So many of you have said that this story is kinda depressing. GOOD! That means I'm getting an emotional reaction out of you people! ^_^ A warning though: this story's going to continue to get darker as it goes (trust me, it'll all come together later).

Garet, Jenna, Ivan + Sheba (bursting in through dorm room door): Wait a minute!

Me: o.O What are you guys doing here?

Jenna: We have a bone to pick with you, author girl!

Ivan: How come Isaac and Mia get all the make out scenes?

Me: ! I don't know what you're talking about…(swiftly shuts dorm room door and locks it)

Garet (rapping on said door): Come on outta there, Midnight! We want in on some of the action!

Sheba: You've got four other characters with romantic needs too, you know!

Me (timidly from within): Actually, it's _five_ with Picard. Will you guys pipe down? It's 3AM and you'll wake my neighbors…

All: WE DEMAND MAKE OUT SCENES TOO!

Me: -.-;;; The RA is _not_ going to like this. Anyway, on with the show…

Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun, but if I did I'd speed up getting the Lost Age translated!

***The Descent***

The sound of the waves crashing on the shore filled the air. White foam washed up against the rock on the beach where Isaac sat. He was watching Mia as she waded into the sea, holding up her robes to try to keep them dry. The rolling waves got them wet anyway, but she didn't care. She had a look of complete ecstasy on her face as she stood there in the midst of her element, the surf splashing her and the ocean breeze carrying the strands of her long blue mane in all sorts of wayward directions. She turned back to Isaac and laughed playfully as another wave bumped against her. He couldn't remember ever seeing her so happy, and that made him happy in return. A wide smile spread across his face as he listened to her laugh and watched her twirling around in the water.

"Come on, Isaac!" she called to him. "Don't just sit there—come and join me! The ocean feels so good!"

"All right," he laughed. He got to his feet and met her halfway to where she'd just been standing. No sooner had he taken her hand than the turquoise water suddenly turned bright red. At first Isaac thought it was caused by the sunlight, but then realized that it had turned to nighttime.

"What in the world…?" Mia asked, looking around. "What happened?"

"I don't know," Isaac replied. "Let's go find the others to be safe."

She nodded in agreement and followed him out of the oddly tinted surf. Just as they got to the point where the waves stopped stretching across the shore, he heard her cry out. He instantly turned around to see. She'd tripped over a rock on the beach and a large gash had appeared on her leg.

"I can be so clumsy," she said.

Isaac went to her, smiling slightly, and cast Cure to heal the minor injury. But instead of healing the gash, his Psynergy burned her skin. She let out a cry of pain and he jumped back in astonishment.

"I'm sorry!" he exclaimed. "I don't know what happened—I only cast Cure!"

"Don't worry," Mia said calmly. "It's not that bad." She began to cast Ply to heal it herself, but the burn on her leg suddenly started to rapidly spread all over her body. Her anguished cry thundered across the beach as her lily-white skin continued to be charred to black. In a panic, Isaac tried his powers again but they only made her pain worse. He stood there watching in helpless horror as her skin was seared to black and flaked away. Her flesh, hair, and organs soon followed, and then lastly her bones, until all that remained of Mia was a pile of black ashes.

Isaac stared at the cinders in stunned disbelief, unable to form any kind of coherent thought. Unblinking, unmoving, he saw the sea wash up and carry the ashes away. The red water left a trail in the sand that looked exactly like blood. _Mia's blood_. The whole ocean was made of her red blood.

A sinister laugh brought Isaac out of his horrified stupor. He looked up to see a large black blob floating in the sky. It was puffy and rippled like an ordinary cloud, but it had a pair of narrowed and glowing red eyes that stared down at him. As it laughed, it also revealed a huge red mouth with a jagged outline to look like long teeth.

"What are you?" Isaac demanded as the shadow chortled at him. "What do you want?"

"Only to see you suffer!" it cackled. It shot out a long black tentacle, which twisted around Isaac's neck, gradually squeezing tighter and tighter…

  
  


Isaac snapped awake from the nightmare, a thin layer of cold sweat coating every inch of his skin. _Just a dream,_ he thought in relief. He slowly drew in a long, deep breath to relax his tense muscles. Mia was sleeping soundly beside him, her breathing steady and even. The room was pitch black; indicating that sunrise was still awhile away.

Another nightmare…what was _wrong_ with him? This one had been at least as chilling and vivid as the one from last night. It was silly to be having such terrible dreams when everything around him had a sense of secure normalcy. Did Lemuria give off some strange vibration that affected his mind? No, because the nightmares had actually started when he'd still been at sea. These dreams were solely a product of his mind. What was going on?

He rolled over onto his side and carefully wrapped his arms around Mia so as not to disturb her. It bothered him most of all that she kept dying in his dreams—and always at his hands. Why was that so? It certainly didn't make any sense that such a thing would occur. He loved her more than anything else and wanted only to be by her side and keep her safe. Were these dreams premonitions? Horrible thought! The mere idea of anything bad happening to her made him feel like he was dying. He could find a way to handle any torment that might cross his path, but he knew he would never be able to come to terms with losing his precious soulmate should it ever happen. 

_Mia…_he thought as he got as close to her as he possibly could. _I love you more than words can say. Please don't ever leave me. If something should happen to you…I don't know what I'd do!_ He tried not to think about it lest the emotions stirred up by such thoughts become too strong to keep under control. _All I want is to stay here with you like this. That's all._ He shut his eyes and waited for sleep to return to him, hoping that the nightmares would choose to leave him alone this time.

************

"Wake up, sleepy head," Mia giggled. Isaac felt her lips against his and opened his eyes, smiling.

"What time is it?" he asked.

"Early enough for me to escape to my room without being seen." She snuggled against him. "How nice to wake up this morning and find you right tight against me! Is this going to be a recurring thing?"

"Only if you want it to be," he said shrewdly. He didn't want to tell her why he'd positioned himself like that. After all, why should _nightmares_ bother a warrior such as himself? He was too old and experienced now to be afraid of his dreams.

Mia smiled broadly. "You make me so happy, Isaac. I want us to stay like this for always."

"Funny," said Isaac as touched his forehead to hers. "I was thinking the exact same thing." He drew her into a long kiss as they lay there side by side. Just as the desire within the kiss started to escalate he felt her body contort and got an odd taste in his mouth. He pulled away and immediately jumped when he looked at Mia.

Blood was flowing out of her mouth in thick rivers, running down over her face, down her neck, and staining the white linen sheets. The stark contrast between the colors made the red brighter than normal. Terror and stunned horror held Isaac's mind in an iron vice. What could he do? Her life essence was gushing out all over! He couldn't focus his curative powers with the shock and fear holding onto him so tightly. All he could do was stare at her. Her eyes met his and she reached up and touched his face with a hand that was also bleeding profusely. Her blood was all over him, all over her, and all over the bed. It felt hot and he could actually see the thin smoke rising up off of his skin as the crimson droplets burrowed into him like hot embers. The gentle, blood covered hand flopped helplessly to the bed and the shining aqua eyes became dull and clouded as Mia gave a choked cry and died.

  
  


"Wake up, sleepy head," Mia giggled. Isaac felt her lips against his and instantly sat bolt upright, panting heavily. He'd been dreaming again! It took a few moments for this realization to sink in. Mia stared at him in concern.

"Isaac, are you OK? I didn't mean to startle you."

"N-no, it's fine," he said, finally catching his breath. He could've sworn he'd been awake before! Was he going crazy? His head wouldn't stop spinning. Then he noticed the worried look on Mia's face and smiled slightly to reassure her, though it clearly didn't work.

"Is something wrong? You seem upset."

"I'm sorry, Mia. I don't mean to worry you. It's nothing, really."

She didn't believe that for a moment. "You don't have to hide things to protect me. Something's wrong with you--I can feel it! Please tell me what's the matter. I want to help."

"I'm all right!" he said more harshly than he intended. She gasped in surprise at his tone.

"Isaac…" Her soft voice sounded hurt. "Why are you shutting me out? I love you!"

He quietly sighed. He always messed these things up. Not only were his dreams tricking him but now he'd hurt Mia's feelings too! Stupid, stupid, stupid! He hugged her tightly. "I'm sorry, Mia. I'm not trying to shut you out, but there isn't anything you can do. This is something I have to sort out on my own, OK?"

She shook her head but returned his warm embrace. "No. You shouldn't have to go through things all by yourself--not when there are so many of us who care about you. What's wrong, Isaac? You can tell me no matter what it is. Just please let me help!"

Isaac kissed her. Damn these dreams! Now they were starting to interfere with the surest thing he had! He hated to make Mia worry, but he couldn't let her in on something so foolish. They were only nightmares--why were they bothering him so much? It's not like dreams could really hurt him or anyone else. But they were so vivid and frightening, and they seemed to specifically target his darkest and deepest fears. It was incredibly taxing on both his mind and his body to go through those feelings of sorrow, loss, and helplessness again and again. He had seen Mia die twice in one night, and the images from that still struck a vein of absolute terror within him. 

An even more horrifying thought crept into his mind. What if all of these nightmares really _were_ premonitions? What if all of them--Mia, Garet, Jenna, Ivan, and Sheba--would be taken from him? What if his mother didn't want to see her selfish son again? What if his father's spirit was cursing his very existence? What if he would be despised, empty, and alone for the rest of his life? No…_anything_ but that! If he had to be punished for his mistakes let it be anything other than living with the kind of endless despair such isolation would bring.

Mia thought she felt his hands trembling. It was clear as day that something was bothering him, and she wanted to help no matter what it was. Why did he insist on keeping this to himself? Didn't he trust her? She had to get him to open up before whatever troubled him got out of control. "I'm here for you, Isaac. Don't ever doubt how committed I am to you--to _us_."

"I would never," said Isaac. He smiled as he looked at her eyes filled with warmth and trust. "I'll be all right as long as I have you." He looked out the window where the first rays of light were coming into view. "We'd better get going before the others wake up."

"All right," she said reluctantly.

Isaac got up and pulled his clothes on, shoving the nightmares out of his head for the time being. The events of the day would help take his mind off of all of it. He bent down to pick up his scabbard and then casually glanced back to where Mia was watching him from the bed. She was covered in blood. He jumped back and turned away.

"Isaac?" she questioned. "What's the matter? What is it?"

He cautiously looked back at her. The blood was gone. "Nothing," he said, shaking off what he thought he'd seen. _Must be letting my imagination run away with me,_ he thought. _I'm awake now. Everything's fine._

Mia bit her lower lip. What had he seen? _Something's wrong…terribly wrong!_ she thought. _I'll have to keep a close watch over him today. I'm going to get to the bottom of this somehow._

************

"And Babi sent us to Lemuria for his draught," Ivan finished. He'd been explaining to Picard what had brought them to Lemuria, though hadn't mentioned any details about the Lighthouses or Felix.

"I see," Picard said thoughtfully. "I think I remember Babi. Did he travel with a man named Lunpa by chance?"

"That's what he told us," said Garet. "What do you mean you 'remember' him? Babi said he came here almost a hundred years ago! That's impossible!"

Picard laughed quite heartily. "Impossible perhaps for any of you, but not for Lemurians. The draught Babi had is common here. Everyone drinks it, including me."

The others looked stunned. "Then how old _are_ you, Picard?" Jenna asked.

He shrugged. "When you've been alive for a long time, you stop counting the years. Let's just say I'm a lot older than I look."

"Wow…" Ivan trailed. "What's it like to live for so long?"

"Doesn't it get terribly boring?" Sheba added.

"A long life has many benefits," said Picard. "One good thing is that it has allowed me to learn more powerful Psynergy techniques before my body aged beyond its prime. Becoming a stronger fighter is never boring."

"No wonder you're so strong," Jenna said. "You must have so many years of training behind you! I'll bet no one could ever defeat you!"

"Well, I wouldn't say that," Picard said. "Every warrior has his weaknesses no matter how hard he trains. I'm sure all of you must know that."

Garet groaned. "Sheesh. You make all that hard work we've done look like nothing. And here I thought I was a force to be reckoned with."

Picard smiled. "Don't be foolish. For ones so young, I'm amazed at your incredible power. Few Adepts ever become as strong as you, even in Lemuria."

"You're too kind, Picard," said Isaac. Such words were especially flattering coming from a warrior of such strength and experience.

"I'm only telling the truth. Now, do you still want that draught for Babi?"

"Can we really have it?" Ivan asked.

"Of course," Picard replied. "There's a never ending supply. It comes from a well outside of town. I'll show you." He started walking.

"How can we ever repay you for your hospitality?" Mia questioned, smiling at him.

"Your smile is payment enough, Lady Mia," said Picard, also smiling. He led them back into the woods but in a different direction from the port. The trees weren't as thickly packed here and nearly all of them had lost their leaves. "Winter's fast approaching. We'll have snow on the ground before you know it."

"Now _there's_ something to look forward to," Garet complained. "Bad enough we have to sail across the sea but now it'll be freezing too!"

"Wimp," Jenna accused.

"_Wimp_?!" Garet exclaimed. "That's a fine way to talk to the guy who took on Saturos and Menardi!"

"I was talking to _you_, not Isaac," she teased. Garet was visibly agitated.

"If you weren't a girl I'd…I'd…"

"You'd _what_?" Jenna implored. "Don't hold back just because I'm a girl. I could kick your ass in a fight any day!"

"Jenna, _please_!" Sheba begged. "Control yourself!"

"Ha!" Ivan laughed. "I'd pay money to see that fight! I'd love to watch Garet get his ass kicked by a girl!"

Garet glowered at Ivan. "One more crack like that and I'll blast you into next week!"

"I'd like to see you try!" Ivan challenged.

"Guys!" Isaac cried. "Knock it off! We're supposed to be _allies_, remember?"

Picard was suppressing his laughter. Mia sighed in resignation. "My apologies for the deplorable behavior of my friends, Picard," she said.

"No need for apologies, Lady Mia. I find their antics very amusing. Your travels must be anything but boring!"

"Yeah, a regular laugh riot," Isaac muttered.Though he loved Garet like a brother, that wasn't to say the Fire Adept couldn't be bothersome at times, and it was only worse with Jenna around to provoke him. Why did those two have to be so true to their element? Isaac sighed to himself and decided to brush the matter off, looking around at the unimpressive scenery instead. He'd always imagined Lemuria to be more mystical. Though the island was cloaked in a mysterious fog and the village looked ancient, the rest of the place was disappointingly plain. Oh well. Maybe it looked better during the summer months.

Out of the corner of his eye he thought he spotted something. He turned his head in the direction and gaped in surprise. It was a big, bulbous black shadow--just like the one that tried to kill him in his dream! How did it get here? Wasn't it a figment of his imagination? It looked at him with the same evil red eyes and sneering red mouth. Isaac narrowed his eyes. Whatever this thing was, it sure didn't look friendly. He couldn't let it escape. Perhaps this thing was causing his nightmares! He had to get answers. Without another thought, he lunged for the creature.

He caught it off guard, but the thing was strong and didn't go down easily. Isaac could hear the startled cries of the others as he wrestled the shadow to the ground and rolled a short distance with it, finally pinning it underneath him. He punched it hard in the space between its eyes and its mouth. It made some sort of grunt and flipped him over, sending him crashing into a tree a short distance away.

"Ow!" he heard Garet moan. "What the hell was that for, Isaac?"

Puzzled, Isaac looked up and to his astonishment saw _Garet,_ not the shadow beast, lying in the grass nearby! What had just happened?

"What's gotten into you?" Jenna demanded. "Are you OK, Garet?"

Garet sat up. His lower lip was bleeding slightly but other than that he seemed fine. "Lucky for me Isaac's right hook still needs some work. Sheesh! All of that just for squabbling with Ivan and Jenna? Is this some new form of keeping the peace?"

Isaac's eyes went wide as he realized what he'd done. There hadn't been any shadow creature--he'd attacked Garet! But he was so sure of what he'd seen! How could he have let this happen? How could he have blindly attacked his own best friend? He slowly rose to his feet, feeling foolish, ashamed, and downright frightened all at once. "Garet, I...I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Garet shrugged nonchalantly as he too stood up and wiped the blood from his lip. He laughed slightly. "Well, maybe I deserved it. But kindly warn me the next time you want to hit me, OK?"

"Sure," Isaac said with a forced grin. Inwardly, however, a current of fear made his blood run cold. To dream was one thing, but to let his imagination affect him this much when he was awake was quite another. The last thing he wanted was to hurt his friends yet he'd just attacked Garet like an enemy! How could he have let his mind play such tricks on him? And worse still, what if he had used his _sword_ instead of his fist?

--------------------------------------------------------

Me: Damn I hate school! Just as I'm getting to the juicy parts I have all of these stupid projects to do! -_-; 

Garet: That's it, I'm blasting this door down!

Jenna, Ivan + Sheba: GO FOR IT!

Me: Hey wait a minute you guys! I'll have to pay for that if you break it!

All: We don't care!

Me: o.O Cripes. I guess I have to go play negotiator now. R&R and I'll get Chapter 4 up, assuming these guys don't kill me first…


	4. Frozen

Garet: You like watching me get beat up, don't you?

Me: -.-;; For the last time, that's _not_ what this thing is about!

Sheba: Those nightmares Isaac had in the last Chapter were really…um…

Ivan: …Twisted! I know this is an angst story, but jeez, you're scaring me!

Me: I know. I apologize for that. Believe it or not, those dreams were actually based on ones I had once.

Jenna: No way! You lie like a rug!

Me: No, I'm serious. Let that be a warning to you—never read anything by Edgar Allan Poe right before going to bed.

Garet: …So _is_ this a horror story?

Me: Certainly not…at least it's not _supposed_ to be. This story is about despair and loneliness. How is Isaac going to despair if bad things don't happen, especially to his precious Mia?

All: Good point.

Me: ^_^ See? Now don't worry about it. The nightmare he has this time is more like the one in Chapter 1, so it's less gruesome and more sorrowful.

Disclaimer: Last time I checked I didn't own Golden Sun and I'm sure that fact hasn't changed.

***Frozen***

Mia stood alone before the fountain in Lemuria Village as twilight settled around her. The streets grew quiet and the lights in the windows shone brightly. She thought back to what had happened earlier today. While it was true that Garet could be a pest on occasion, she'd never known Isaac to ever want to pick a fight with him. Well, they'd argued a few times, but that would be a verbal fight, not a physical one like today. Such behavior went completely against Isaac's nature. Though he was a fierce fighter in battle, as they all were, at any other time he was so patient, gentle, and fervently protective of all of them. What would bring him to attack his own best friend like that? She couldn't come up with any logical reason as the whole of it made absolutely no sense to her. The Isaac that had struck out at Garet wasn't the one she knew and loved--it was a different person entirely. What was happening to him? 

"Lady Mia?" said a voice behind her. "What are you doing out here in the cold by yourself?"

She didn't bother turning around, knowing full well that was Picard's voice since only he called her Lady Mia. "Hello, Picard. I just needed to be alone to think for awhile. Cold doesn't bother me much. I was raised in the arctic."

"I see." He went to stand beside her. "If you don't mind my asking, what's bothering you? You seem quite troubled."

Mia sighed. "It's Isaac. I can't for the life of me figure out why he lashed out at Garet this afternoon."

"You mean he's never done that before?"

"No. Isaac's not like that at all. He loves Garet like a brother--he'd never want to hurt him like that."

"Even the closest brothers can fight," Picard observed. "And Garet is a little--how to phrase this--_difficult_."

She nodded. "That's true, but as bothersome as Garet can be at times, I have _never_ seen Isaac hit him before. That's not who he is! He's too kind and loving to do something like that!" She clasped her hands together and rested her chin on her knuckles. "Something's wrong with him--something awful!"

Picard smiled down at her. "He means a lot to you, doesn't he? He must be the one who gave you that diamond on your finger, correct?"

"Then you noticed it?" She was a little surprised that he had. "Yes he did. We're planning to get married once our travels have ended. I love him with every ounce of my being, and I know he feels the same way about me. We're soulmates, he and I."

"You're both very lucky then. A love like that happens only once in a blue moon."

"I know," she said. "I hate to even think of anything bad happening to him. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him!" Tears shined out of the corners of her eyes. _What can I do? _she wondered. _I have to find out what's going on with Isaac, but how?_

"Lady Mia," Picard began, placing a hand on her shoulder. "No matter what happens, as long as you keep faith in that love you have, you'll have nothing to fear."

"Do you really believe that, Picard?"

He nodded. "Indeed I do. It is a rare woman that can capture the heart of a man of honor, and rarer still is the man that can capture hers. Trust those feelings, my Lady. That is all you need to know."

Mia smiled and hugged him. "Thank you, Picard. I think that's just what I needed to hear."

"You're welcome, Lady Mia," he said, returning her embrace. "I'm just glad to be of help."

Neither of them saw the figure watching them from a short distance away. Isaac hadn't heard anything they'd said, but he stared at the pair as they hugged. They both seemed so happy. He could only stand to see it for a moment, and he swiftly turned and walked back for the inn, head down and heart cracking. He didn't feel much jealousy this time, since it would serve him right if Mia left him. Why _should_ she stay with someone who couldn't even decipher his dreams from reality? Someone who had attacked his own best friend because he'd thought he'd seen some imaginary shadow beast! He was a loose cannon, completely untrustworthy and unpredictable. She'd be better off with someone more reliable, someone capable of keeping her safe from people like _him_.

But holding that belief didn't make the prospect of losing her any easier to take. When he reached his room at the inn, he slammed the door and locked it behind him. Leaning against it, he slowly sank to the floor and rested his forehead on his knees, willing himself not to succumb to the heartache he felt. It ravaged him on the inside, stabbing and burrowing itself deeper into his soul and screaming to be let out. He swallowed hard to try to keep it further at bay but still it persisted. It cried out her name again and again in his mind, and Isaac finally relented and let some of the hurt escape in a few stray tears. Why was this happening? Why him, why now?

Someone knocked at the door. "Isaac?" came the angel's voice. "Are you in there? I want to talk to you."

"Not now," he said, rubbing at his eyes.

"Please?" Mia asked. "It's important."

Important? All he could think was that she wanted out on their engagement. He could almost hear her saying it. The hurt within him intensified.

When he didn't answer, Mia tried the door only to find it locked. _He locked me out!_ she thought in disbelief. This was a first! Before, he'd only locked the door to keep her _in_ and everyone else out! It highly concerned her that he would do such a thing. "Isaac, please open the door and let me in." Still he didn't answer. Her tone grew more worried. "Don't shut me out! Something's wrong with you, I can feel it! Please let me help you!"

"I don't want to talk about it!" he snapped. He instantly regretted yelling, but he didn't know how to explain to her what was going on. He didn't even understand it himself. And should she say anything at all about Picard, whether romantic or not, he knew it would crush whatever sanity he still had. He simply couldn't bear hearing anything of the sort.

Mia backed a step away from the door, frightened by his angry outburst. This wasn't really her Isaac talking, was it? No, it couldn't be. This was that _other_ being, the same one that had attacked Garet. What should she do? She was powerless to help him as long as he insisted on keeping her out. Too afraid to press the issue further, she sat down in the hall and leaned up against the door. If she couldn't get inside, she'd at least stay as nearby as possible in case he needed her.

************

Isaac tramped through the bleak wilderness, the freezing cold air numbing his body from head to toe. A thin layer of snow had fallen to the ground, veiling everything in perfect whiteness. Everything was still and quiet. Only his footprints and steamy breath broke through the silence. He had his arms wrapped tightly around him, feeling certain that he'd freeze to death before he found refuge. But off in the distance he saw the warm light of a village and rushed forward with renewed hope. The great mountain looming over the town looked very familiar. Could it be? Yes it was! It was Mt. Aleph and Vale! At long last he was home! He dashed for the village gates as fast as his feet would carry him, the tails of his long scarf flapping behind him like a pair of yellow wings. Garet's grandfather, the Mayor, stood waiting to greet him at the entryway to Vale. While the world around the town was cloaked in winter, within the village gates it was green with summer, making it look twice as inviting as it already did. After all this time, all this fighting and traveling, he'd finally arrived at the most wonderful place he could ever imagine--_home_.

"You made it, Isaac," said the Mayor when he'd reached the gates. "We were wondering what happened to you."

"Well, here I am," Isaac said after he'd caught his breath. "You have no idea how much I've missed this place, Mayor."

"Oh, I could venture a guess. After all, few places can compare to one's home."

"Right," Isaac agreed. He spotted two figures emerging from within the village. He smiled ear to ear when he saw his mother, and then gasped in utter astonishment when he saw the person behind her. It couldn't be…but it was! "**_Dad?!_** You're…you're _alive_!"

"Welcome home, son," Kyle greeted warmly.

"We've missed you so much!" Dora added.

It was simply too wonderful to be true. Isaac found himself sandwiched between both of his parents, much the same way the three of them hugged when he was little. Home again with his mother _and_ his father! He couldn't even begin to sort out the pure elation running through him, but he loved how it felt. His soul fluttered with new wings of happiness, at last breaking free from the three long years of loss that had weighed so heavily upon it.

"Dad! Mom!" he exclaimed, choking back tears of joy. "I can't believe you're really here! It's a miracle!"

"One that's highly overdue, don't you think?" Kyle asked with a wide grin.

"Yeah," Isaac agreed, half laughing.

Dora kissed him. "I'm so glad you came home to us safely, Isaac. Now I finally have _both_ of my boys back!"

"Hey Isaac!" a familiar voice called. "Did you forget about us?"

He turned and saw Garet, Jenna, Ivan, Sheba and Mia quickly approaching Vale, all of them smiling happily. He couldn't help but laugh. Now everything really was perfect. Vale, his family, his friends, and Mia--he had it all! Everything, everyone that he'd longed for stood before him at last. He went to his friends and got caught up in the midst of them, Garet, Ivan and Sheba nudging him playfully and Jenna and Mia throwing their arms around him.

"Sure feels good to be back in the neighborhood, huh?" Garet implored.

"I always knew you'd lead us home, Isaac!" Jenna cried happily.

"You deserve this, Isaac," said Ivan. "You've fought hard to bring us here safely."

"A fitting end to a grand adventure," Sheba added.

Mia didn't say anything but pulled him into a long kiss instead, which basically said it all. Isaac couldn't remember ever feeling so good. He had to be the richest person in the world.

The Mayor had watched all of this carefully. When much of the initial ecstasy had faded, he approached the cluster of people before him. "How's it feel to be home, Isaac?" he asked.

Isaac shrugged, grinning. "There aren't any words for it, Mayor. It's _wonderful_, to say the least."

The Mayor nodded. "I hate to ruin such a joyous occasion, but I'm afraid I have some bad news."

"Mayor?" Kyle questioned.

"What is it, Grandpa?" Garet asked. "Surely it can't be _that_ bad."

"There is still the matter of the Sol Sanctum incident," said the Mayor. "That can't be overlooked."

Everyone else looked confused. "Oh, but that was a long time ago, Mayor," said Jenna. "Why should it matter now?"

"It _does_ matter," the Mayor continued. He looked directly at Isaac. "Vale was nearly destroyed because you knowingly defied the laws of this village! Not only that, but you caused the volcano to erupt and destroy the Sanctum! Such blatant disregards for our laws cannot go unpunished!"

"What are you saying, Mayor?" Dora asked. "What do you intend to do?"

"I have discussed it with the Great Healer and we both agree." The Mayor set his expression into that of a stern lawmaker. "Isaac, you are hereby _banished_ from Vale forever."

The word hit Isaac like a massive blast of Psynergy, and he felt that he'd collapse from the impact. _Banished?!_ Never to enter his own village for the rest of his life? NO! This was the only home he'd ever known! How could they do this to him? _Why_ would they do this to him? 

His friends and family seemed to have a similar reaction. "Mayor, you can't be serious!" his father demanded. "Banishing Isaac from his own village? That's ridiculous!"

"Surely there must be some other way he can make amends for what happened in Sol Sanctum!" Dora pleaded, sounding near hysterics.

"If you're going to banish Isaac you should banish me too!" Garet declared. "I was responsible for that mess too!"

"Don't be foolish, Garet," said the Mayor. "You're my grandson--you _can't_ be banished from Vale." He sighed and shook his head. "I am sorry for this, but the matter isn't up for discussion. The decision has been made. You're all welcome to stay with Isaac if you want, but if any of you do, you'll be banished from Vale as well."

Everyone was visually stunned. "You mean we have to choose between Isaac and Vale?" Jenna questioned in disbelief. "That's unfair!"

"Say what you will, but the order stands," said the Mayor firmly. "Make your choices, everyone."

A cold winter wind blew by as everyone pondered what to do. Isaac was at a loss for words, still reeling from the Mayor's sentence. Certainly it was fair to hold him responsible for what happened in Sol Sanctum, but this punishment felt too severe. Still, he knew he _could_ make a life for himself in one of the other places he'd visited in his travels. And he knew everyone else would be willing to make a go at it too, especially Mia. He could live with that.

"Well, that's it then," Kyle sighed. "Let's go, Dora."

Isaac was stunned to see his parents heading back towards Vale! He grabbed his father's arm. "Dad, wait! Where are you going?"

"Home, of course," he replied mater-of-factly.

"You didn't really expect us to leave Vale, did you?" Dora implored. "Your father and I are too old to be starting over in a new place. You'll be all right on your own, won't you?"

"No!" Isaac declared vehemently, still in disbelief. "If you don't come with me, I'll never see you again!"

His parents shrugged. "Sorry, son, but that's just the way it is," said Kyle. "Good luck out there."

"But…!" Isaac's protest fell on deaf ears. His mother and father had already crossed through the village gates. He couldn't understand it. Surely he meant more to them than the village…didn't he? A cutting sadness started to gather in the pit of his heart, and it only got worse when he noticed Garet, Jenna, Sheba and Ivan heading for Vale as well!

"Guys!" he called to them. "What are you doing?"

"Hey, it's been fun, Isaac," Garet said with a shrug. "Hope you make it out there."

"Take care," Jenna added. "We'll think of you now and then."

Tears appeared in the corners of Isaac's eyes as he realized that they were serious. "No, please don't go, guys!"

"Sorry, Isaac, but it's cold out here," said Ivan. "It looks much warmer in Vale."

"Thank you for everything," Sheba said. "Do take care."

The four of them headed into town without even looking back. Why were they doing this? Why were they leaving him behind? Didn't they care about him at all? The roaring, painful sadness gathered within him, gradually trying to tear him to pieces on the inside. Then he realized that Mia was still standing nearby. If there was _anyone_ who wouldn't ever leave him behind, surely it was she. Hope seized him, pushing some of the pain back down as he looked over at her and smiled sadly. His beloved angel—how could he ever doubt her?

Mia approached him and kissed him on the cheek. "I'm sorry, Isaac, but Picard is waiting for me." She pointed to Vale, and sure enough, there was Picard standing within the gates waving to her. "Farewell."

Isaac frantically grabbed her shoulder, completely shocked at what she'd said. "No, Mia! Not you too!"

She gave him a funny look, as if she didn't understand what he was saying. "What's wrong? You're a strong warrior—you'll be fine."

"But you're all I have left!" he said. "I love you, Mia! We promised that we'd always be together!"

"Things change, Isaac," she said. "I want to be with Picard now."

Her words felt like a knife being twisted in his chest. This couldn't be! After all they'd been through, all that they'd meant to each other, how could she turn her back on him? They were _soulmates_! "Mia…!" he begged, his voice wavering in sheer desperation. "Please, don't go! Don't leave me all alone!"

"_Goodbye_, Isaac," she said coldly, shaking him off. He watched her run for the village and into Picard's waiting arms. The Mayor nodded and headed into Vale, the gates slamming shut behind him.

Snow slowly drifted down from the sky, settling all over the bleak wilderness but never touching the pristine, golden Vale. A bitter wind sent the flakes into a tizzy around Isaac as he stood there in the cold, gazing down at his warm and beautiful village. A moment ago he'd experienced his heart's fondest desire, and now it had been ripped away from him. It laid there before him, tempting him, teasing him, and calling out to him, but it was just beyond his reach. He ached with longing for it down to the core of his soul. Was this how it would be? The wish was there for him to see and hold in his heart, but it would never truly be his to have.

Part of him still couldn't believe that everyone had so freely left him behind—that he'd never see any of them again except from a distance. Maybe it had been too selfish of him to want them to leave Vale and stay with him, but it hadn't seemed like an outrageous request. Sharp, jagged bullets of sorrow and loss pierced him each second. The tears he'd tried to hold back began to seep out, gradually building up intensity as they did. The droplets froze to ice as soon as they felt the cold air. "Come back!" he pleaded in a soft whisper through his sobs. There was nothing for him out here in this isolated and lonely place. But standing there in the bleak winter, it was crystal clear that was what he was.

_Alone. Abandoned._

Everyone down in Vale looked so warm and happy. Garet and Jenna were arguing over something as usual, and Ivan and Sheba were laughing at their antics. His mother and father stood hand in hand by the giant Psynergy stone lost in each other's company. And Mia…she was still in Picard's arms, resting her head on his shoulder the same way she used to do when she was with him. Isaac smiled slightly in spite of the emptiness he felt. At least they were all happy. That was one thing he could hold on to.

Unable to look at Vale any longer, he turned to leave for parts unknown. No sooner had he traveled a few steps, however when he heard a crashing sound behind him. It was a noise he found all too familiar. Whirling, he saw another huge boulder coming down from the peak of Mt. Aleph, only this one was even bigger! Before he could even react to the spectacle, it had crushed the entire village beneath it, leaving only a twisted pile of rubble. Isaac ran to the scene, frantically calling out names, but was answered only in silence. _Gone_. It was all gone! Now he couldn't even feel content in the knowledge that the others were happy and safe—they were all dead!

"**NO!**" His anguished cry even shook the solid mountain. He truly had nothing to cling to anymore. Now he couldn't even _see_ that beautiful, shining desire he'd held!

The ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way and he tumbled down a dark and narrow fissure. Somehow, he reached out with his hand and managed to grab a ledge. He hung there by one arm for a few moments to catch his breath and then started to pull himself back up. But the ledge gave way and he continued to fall further into the unknown darkness. He desperately searched for something else to grab onto, but he received a sudden blow to the back of his head and he blacked out, helplessly falling down the rest of the fissure.

Isaac slowly awoke, seeing red from the blood that was running down his forehead and into his eyes. He couldn't even breathe without feeling agony racking his entire form. Broken spirit, broken body—was there really any difference? He could sense and vaguely see the large and expanding pool of his own blood that he was lying in. Above him, staring at him in the dim light, was that black shadow with the red eyes. It had taken on a more human-like shape this time and it sneered down at him, cackling lowly.

"So Isaac, the great warrior of the world, has finally fallen." Its voice seemed more suited to a serpent than a shadow. "How does it feel, hero? How does it feel to know you are truly alone in your suffering?"

"What are you?" Isaac whispered faintly. "Why are you doing this?"

The shadow laughed. "I'll make a deal with you, hero. If you can find me and defeat me, you will suffer no more. Until then, however…" It leaned in close, it's hollow eyes and haunting gaze slicing into him. Its next words shattered whatever parts were left of Isaac's being. "You are _mine_, Isaac—_now_ and _forever_."

The apparition vanished. Isaac felt himself begin to sink in the pool of red around him, but he couldn't fight it. He went under.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Ivan: OK, that was depressing.

Sheba: *sniff* It was so sad! We'd never do that to Isaac!

Me: Duh! He dreamt that, remember?

Sheba: Oh yeah…

Garet: I'm confused…

Jenna: Now there's a big surprise!

Me: No fighting or else the four of you are out of here!

Ivan: What's this all leading to? It's getting really weird.

Me: Good question, Ivan. Why don't you stick around for Chapter 5 and find out? ^_^


	5. Tragedy

Me: Well, true to their nature, Garet and Jenna got tired of waiting for me to give them a makeout scene and took off.

Ivan: ~_^ Probably to make their own makeout scene!

Sheba: ^_^ Doesn't that put you in the mood, Ivan? 

Ivan: Mood for what?

Sheba: *sigh* You're so unromantic, Ivan!

Me: So now it's just me and my two favorite Jupiter Adepts. Anyway, to business…

Disclaimer: Camelot rules! Make many more games just like this one please!

***Tragedy***

"Mia?" Ivan asked. "What are you doing out here in the hallway?"

Mia stirred and looked up at her friend sleepily. She was still sitting in the inn's upstairs corridor, leaning against the door to Isaac's room. "Ivan? What time is it?"

"About dawn," he replied. "Were you out here all night?"

"I guess I was. I must've fallen asleep while I was sitting here."

Ivan crouched beside her. "Care to tell me why?" He looked at the door. "It must have something to do with Isaac, right?"

"Yes."

"So you're concerned about what happened between he and Garet yesterday too. That's why I'm here. I was hoping to speak with him about it."

"Slim chance of that," she said. "He refused to talk to me about it last night. He even locked me out!" She clutched her knees. "I wish he'd open up. Something's wrong with him—I'm sure of it! He's been acting funny for awhile now and it's gotten even worse since yesterday morning."

"What do you mean by 'acting funny?'"

"Just not like himself. He seems so tense and distracted and…" Her eyes watered as she remembered the angry tone he'd used last night. "…And he's _snippy_."

"Snippy?" Ivan was confused. That wasn't a word he'd ever associate with the stoic, even-tempered warrior that was Isaac.

"Yes, snippy," said Mia, looking quite upset. "I don't know what to do. I'm so afraid for him, Ivan!"

"Don't worry, Mia," Ivan said, smiling to reassure her. "We'll get to the bottom of this one way or the other. I'll help." He knocked on the door. "Isaac? Are you up yet? I'd like to speak with you."

No answer. Ivan sighed and tried the door, and both he and Mia were surprised to see it open. The room beyond was empty, however, and the bed looked like it hadn't been disturbed at all.

"Where could he be?" Mia wondered.

"He must've slipped out earlier," said Ivan. "Mia, why don't you go on ahead and look for him? I'll wake up the others and we'll all come after you."

"All right. Thank you, Ivan." She headed downstairs and outside. The air was biting cold without much light from the sun to heat it. She pulled up the hood from her cape to keep warm and set off in the first direction her instincts told her, thinking only of finding and helping her true love.

************

At the edge of the woods near Lemuria Village, Isaac was practicing his swordplay half-heartedly. In reality, he was desperately trying to shake the nightmares out of his system. He'd woken up on the floor by his door in the middle of the night feeling like he'd been through a major battle. He hadn't dared try to go back to sleep. Each new nightmare made him feel even worse than the last, both in body and in spirit. The images from all of them kept flashing through his mind as if they were actual memories and not mere manifestations. Why couldn't he shake them off? Why did they feel like immense weights on his shoulders and like rabid fangs ripping chunks out of his soul? They were just dreams, dammit!

Worst of all was that they seemed to be coming true. He'd attacked Garet yesterday without knowing it, and that memory of Mia and Picard hugging by the fountain loomed over him. _I'm reading too much into that,_ he thought, trying to assert himself. _It was just one embrace—it couldn't have meant much, if anything at all._ But the doubt within him was very much alive and growing stronger with every moment he recalled that image. So much uncertainty filtered through him, and the only thing he remained certain of was that losing Mia might very well kill him. No matter how bad things got on their travels, he'd always been able to look into her eyes and know everything was all right. In a world of chaos, their love had been the single thing that never stopped making sense. He didn't know what he'd do without that safety net to catch him if he fell. And he was definitely falling.

He thought back to the first half of his dream last night, the part before it had turned sour. It had been so real and wonderful, and yet terribly naïve and childish too. He was almost eighteen years old and had traveled across most of the world! Why did he want to return to that tiny hamlet so badly and see his parents? Wasn't he too old and experienced for such things? It was also foolish of him to wish to see his father again, since that would never happen no matter how badly he wanted it. Still, it wasn't _wrong_ to want such things, was it? He smiled a bit to himself as he thought of how good that part of the dream had felt. To be back home with the people he loved most—as silly as it seemed, that would truly be paradise.

Thinking of that, unfortunately, also brought back the very real feelings of loneliness and despair he'd had after the dream soured. There weren't any words that could accurately describe that kind of total abandonment and how much it hurt. The doubt liked to prey on the fear he had of such a thing coming true. No one willing to stay with him, no one giving any thought about him, no one wanting to love him. What if he did make it home and all those people he believed to care about him turned their backs on him? What would he do if he found himself truly alone in the world?

"Isaac…" That heavenly voice had found him again. He slowly placed his sword back in his scabbard and turned around to face its owner. She looked exceptionally beautiful with the whiteness of her robes the only thing standing out against the dull brown landscape. He turned his head away in shame. He didn't even have the right to look at her with the way he'd been behaving.

For some reason, Mia had known she'd find him here. She gazed at him sadly for several moments, wishing he'd meet her eyes like he usually did. He looked very tired and weary, almost like he'd been through a major fight with a monster. Maybe he had. It only made her more worried to see him so haggard, and it also made her more determined to help.

"You weren't in your room," she finally said quietly. "I was hoping to speak with you."

"Mia, I'm sorry," Isaac said. Still he avoided her gaze. "I didn't mean to yell at you and lock you out last night. It's just…I don't know."

She smiled slightly and got closer to him. "It's all right."

"No, it's not!" he insisted. "I have no right to be taking my frustrations out on you! You're…" He wasn't sure of the right words. "…You're _everything_ to me."

"Don't be so hard on yourself. I know you'd never intend to hurt me. That's not who you are." She reached up and gently turned his face so their eyes could meet. His didn't look as blue as normal. They seemed faded and dull. "Talk to me, Isaac. Please, tell me what's bothering you before it gets out of hand."

Isaac hesitated. He wanted to tell her, but he wasn't sure how to explain it. It seemed so stupid for him to be fearing and believing a bunch of nightmares. Would she think him a fool or a coward? But those shining aqua eyes of hers invited him to open up. He couldn't let his doubts hold him in silence.

"What's your dream, Mia?" he asked.

Mia tipped her head slightly in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Tell me your dream—the thing you want more than anything else. Please, I have to know."

She thought a moment, still mystified by his question. "I hadn't given it much thought. I guess what I want most is to see everyone make it safely through this quest. The world would be safe again and everyone could live in peace."

"Aside from all of that," Isaac pressed. "If you could have anything, no matter how unrealistic, what would it be?"

Mia faltered a moment. "Well, I guess I'd like to live a peaceful life in a quiet village as a great healer, and I'd like to have my friends and family beside me." She paused and then smiled as she realized what she really did want most. "I'd like to have all of that, but what I want most of all is to be with you, Isaac."

"Honestly?" he questioned. "You're not just saying that?"

"No, I mean it. I love you, Isaac. I can't imagine ever being truly happy without you by my side."

Isaac pulled her into a tight embrace. She wasn't the type to lie about anything, so she had to be telling the truth. That made him feel twice as foolish for doubting her, but still so relieved to hear it. As long as he had this one sure thing to count on, no nightmare would ever be able to conquer him completely. He still had his soulmate! That was what he needed above everything else.

Mia placed her head in the groove of his shoulder, smiling to herself. _This_ was the Isaac she knew and loved without question. Had he been wondering about her commitment to him? No, that couldn't be the only thing that had him acting strangely. She could sense some desperation in his embrace, and his muscles still felt tense. There was more to it than that. What could it be?

"What makes you ask about my dream?" she asked after several moments.

He swallowed hard. "Mia, I'm afraid if I tell you you're going to think I'm a coward or that I'm going crazy."

"Oh, I would never think you were a coward. You're probably the bravest person I've ever met! Just tell me what it is. You can trust me, Isaac."

"I know." He sighed, relaxing his grip on her and looking back at her eyes for courage. "I've been having nightmares, Mia, every night since before we came to Lemuria. Really bad ones."

"Nightmares? What about?"

"They're all a little different, but they always end the same way. At the end, I'm completely alone, usually because the rest of you died at my hands."

Mia was startled. "But how can that be? You'd never hurt any of us!"

He shrugged. "I don't know, but it scares me that it keeps happening over and over again." He thought back to the one from last night. "In my dream last night, we all made it back to Vale. It started out beautifully—we were all together celebrating our victory, and then…"

"Then what?"

His voice sounded deeply saddened when he continued. "…Then the Mayor banished me from Vale and everyone left me behind, including you! And then another boulder fell from Mt. Aleph and destroyed the village and everyone with it." He bowed his head. "I know it was only a dream and that it's silly to believe it, but it was so _real_!"

Mia nodded. "Dreams often are. But they're still only dreams, Isaac."

"I'm dreaming even when I'm awake," Isaac said. "Lately, there's been this weird shadow being that appears at the end of my dreams, and I think it may be causing the nightmares. Yesterday when we were going to retrieve the draught, I saw the same shadow creature there in the woods with us, and I attacked it without thinking."

She gasped in surprise. "You mean you _didn't_ see that it was Garet you were attacking?"

"No! I saw only the shadow creature—I didn't know it was Garet! If I had, I _never_ would've done that!"

"By Mercury…" Mia trailed. So that was what happened! She knew there had to be an explanation for it. But the idea of something having such a profound effect on his behavior sent a chill down her spine. He wasn't crazy, but something was clearly trying to mess with his mind.

"I'm scared, Mia," he said quietly. "I'm not sure if I can trust what I see. What should I do?"

She squeezed him tightly, trying not to let on that she too was frightened by the situation. "Don't worry, Isaac. We'll figure this out, somehow. There has to be a logical explanation for what you're dreaming and seeing."

"Then you don't think I'm crazy?"

"No, of course not. Something is obviously trying to make you think that, but you're _not_ crazy." She smiled. "Well, I like to believe you're crazy _in love_."

He laughed slightly. "I am!" He kissed her. "Thank you, Mia. I should've known you of all people would believe me. Can you forgive me for doubting you?"

"Of course—don't give it another thought. Now come on. We should inform the others of what's going on. Maybe they can help us figure out what to do."

"Right." Isaac felt some of his confidence coming back. Fear still greatly resonated within him, but the doubts he'd held earlier about Mia had vanished completely. He felt like an imbecile for how he'd reacted to her embrace with Picard, but he tried to shove it off and focus on more important matters. Truly, nothing would ever take her away from him, which meant he'd never have to worry about being left totally alone in the world. He could do anything with her by his side, even conquer some strange creature trying to drive him mad. And that certainty helped ease some of the weight on his shoulders.

They hadn't gone far when he thought he heard something coming from behind them. He turned and went a few steps back the way they came. Nothing was there.

"What is it, Isaac?" Mia asked. "Did you see something again?"

"No, I thought I heard something." A sinister laugh echoed from the woods. "There it is again. Do you hear it?"

She strained her ears to listen. "No, I don't."

He sighed. "Must be imagining things again." He heard the laugh again, and it was coming closer. He went nearer to the woods, his back to Mia. "I'm getting sick of these games. If there _is_ something out there, it had better show itself."

There was a long silence. Mia couldn't hear anything coming from the direction Isaac was indicating, but he kept hearing that same laugh coming progressively closer. It sent a shiver through him even more than the chilly autumn air.

"Come on, Isaac," Mia finally said. "I don't think there's anything there."

"You're probably right," he sighed. "Let's go." He turned back to her and saw the shadow creature coming up behind her! "Mia! Behind you!"

She spun around, but the thing had already surrounded her in its darkness. It seemed to swallow her up then it slowly approached Isaac. Mia had disappeared completely.

"What have you done with her?" Isaac demanded. "Where's Mia?"

"You can't help her now, hero," the thing cackled. "She is beyond your reach."

Isaac's rage steadily escalated. Messing with him was one thing, but hurting his love was quite another. He drew his sword. "Your fight is with me! Leave Mia out of this!"

The creature laughed loudly. It had a distinctly human shape now and appeared three-dimensional, not flat as before. A real person colored in total black, except for the pupil-less red eyes that were as soulless as ever. "You belong to me, Isaac, now and forever. If you fight me, you will lose."

"We'll just see about that!" he declared, brandishing his trusted Gaia Blade. "Let Mia go this instant or I'll cut you down to size!"

"Bring it on, hero," the shadow challenged. "You'll live to regret it."

Isaac lunged at the being, swiping at it with his most powerful sword swings. It dodged them all easily; laughing the whole while as it jumped around. "Too slow, too slow," it teased. "I thought you were an expert swordsman?"

"Mock me all you want. I'm not giving up until you let Mia go." The Gaia Blade shone with golden light and unleashed Titan Blade. The blast narrowly missed the shadow. Fuming, it sent out a blast of a foreign Psynergy, which tripped Isaac up. He skidded to a halt and jumped back at the thing, stabbing at it again. One swipe finally connected and the beast staggered back a few steps, a black liquid slowly oozing out of its side.

"You'll pay for that!" it growled. It cast another wave of unknown Psynergy. Isaac dodged it and tackled the shadow to the ground. It managed to flip him a short distance but it seemed to be weakening from its previous wound. Confident, Isaac rose and cast Ragnarok for a finishing blow. The creature remained standing after the blast but only barely. It tried its Psynergy once more. Isaac swiftly got in close and ran it through, twisting the blade as it penetrated the weird black flesh. The shadow collapsed to the ground and was still.

Ivan, Jenna, Garet, and Sheba, whom had been seeking Isaac, saw the golden light from his attack and rushed to the spot. As soon as they got there and saw the scene, Jenna and Sheba screamed and turned away. Ivan and Garet's eyes went wide in shock and horror. They slowly looked up to Isaac in disbelief.

"Isaac," Garet managed to say quietly. "What have you _done_?!"

Confused, Isaac looked back down at the ground to see what had them so upset. There, lying in the brown grass amid a vast pool of red blood, was Mia.

----------------------------------------------------------

Ivan + Sheba: OH MY GOD!!

Me: That bad?

Sheba: How could you _do_ that?!

Ivan: You are _evil_! You can't leave us with a cliffhanger like that!!

Me: Well, I just did…

Both: (shaking the author) UPDATE, UPDATE!!! YOU CAN'T LEAVE IT HANGING LIKE THAT!!!

Me: @.@ Lay off, guys! If you shake too hard, you might make me forget the next part!

Ivan: That's no excuse!

Sheba: Give us Chapter 6 NOW!!

Me: o.O I'm working as fast as I can here! Chill out and let me concentrate!

Ivan: We're not leaving you alone until you crank out Chapter 6!

Sheba: Right! Ivan and I will keep you glued to this computer until it's all done!

Me: *sigh* Looks like I'm in for a _very_ long night…


	6. Grief

Me: I _knew_ I'd get yelled at for the cliffhanger at the end of Chapter 5…

Sheba: Then why'd you do it?

Me: I have to end the chapters _somewhere_ you know!

Ivan: Well, it's about time you updated! We've been waiting forever!

Me: It wasn't _that_ long. You're exaggerating.

Sheba: No we're not. We've been waiting patiently for this chapter and you know it!

Me: It's not my fault! Blame all of my GD homework. Onward to the next era—Chapter 6.

Disclaimer: Why do I even bother putting these things in here? Everyone knows I don't own the freaking game!

***Grief***

The Gaia Blade dropped to the ground, its point landing in the red lake forming in the grass. A deadly silence hung in the air. Isaac couldn't breathe or peel his eyes away from the horrific sight before him. Mia, his pure and beautiful angel, lay slain on the ground by his own sword! It was too awful to be real! He _had_ to be dreaming!

"We need to get her to the town sanctum!" Ivan said after what felt like a long time.

"Right!" said Garet. He stooped and very, very carefully lifted Mia up. "Hang in there, Mia—you'll be all right!" He and Ivan took off towards town, with Sheba deciding to follow after a moment's hesitation. Only Jenna remained, and she couldn't stop looking at Isaac as he stood before her, frozen like a statue. His eyes hadn't moved from the spot where Mia had laid.

"Isaac?" Jenna asked timidly.

Her voice partially brought him out of his stupor. She watched as he slowly brought his arms up and wrapped them around himself. His whole body started to tremble and he slipped down to the grass. Jenna went to his side.

"What happened here, Isaac?" she asked gently. "What happened to Mia?"

The name cut through him like the edge of a razor. An invisible rope was being pulled tighter and tighter around his chest and he could only grab quick, jerky breaths. His whole body shook, and everything inside of him felt like it was breaking apart. What had he done? _What had he done?_

Jenna gingerly touched him and he recoiled, getting back to his feet. "Isaac?" she asked again. He shook his head vigorously and took off into the woods. "Isaac!" Jenna called. But he was already out of earshot. Jenna stared after him, not knowing what to do. Something more than met the eye had happened here, but she couldn't quite comprehend what.

Isaac ran through the woods as fast as his feet would carry him. Here and there he tripped over tree roots, but always he immediately got back to his feet and kept running. Inside his mind he kept screaming the name of the one he loved, the one who completed him, the one he'd slain. Every part of him was willing it to be untrue; to just let it be another sick, demented nightmare that he'd soon awaken from. He begged with all his might to wake up and let this unthinkable thing go away. She had to be OK, she just _had_ to be!

************

A short while later, Jenna had rejoined the rest of her friends outside of the sanctum in the village. No one could say a word as they were all still too stunned and afraid of what had happened. Picard emerged from the building, softly shutting the huge door behind him.

"How is she, Picard?" Sheba asked.

Picard sighed. "Not good. I healed the wound, but she's already lost a lot of blood." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, but I don't know if she'll survive."

The others looked around at each other sadly. "What can we do?" Ivan asked.

"Nothing," Picard replied. "Now we just wait."

"Great," Garet complained. "Waiting is not my strong point."

"Mine either," Jenna admitted.

"I don't understand," Picard began. "Who would want to do such a thing to Lady Mia?"

"Well…" Sheba began uneasily. "I-I'm not entirely sure, but I think it was _Isaac_."

"What?!" Picard exclaimed. "But I thought they were…?"

"They are," said Ivan. "But something's been bothering Isaac lately and he hasn't been himself."

"For sure," Garet agreed, remembering what happened yesterday. "I don't blame him for wanting to smack me sometimes, but for him to actually _do_ it is completely abnormal."

"Isaac loves Mia, probably more than any of us will ever understand," said Jenna. "He'd never intentionally hurt her—I'm sure of it."

"Yes," Ivan added. "He wouldn't ever do something like this to her. I'm sure there's some other explanation for how this happened."

General nods of agreement passed around the group. "Where'd he go anyway?" Garet asked. "He should be here."

"He ran off into the woods," Jenna said, looking even more upset. "He seemed quite distraught to say the least."

"Can you blame him?" Sheba implored.

Isaac was around the corner of the sanctum, leaning against the building. He knew his friends were there but was unable to absorb anything they were saying. Their voices sounded garbled and distant. Only one thing could flow through his mind and it blocked out everything else around him. Slowly, he emerged from the shadows and approached the huge double doors to the shrine. He needed to see her. Everything in him demanded it.

"Isaac?" Ivan questioned, spotting him out of the corner of his eye. He moved like some sort of ghost to the doors, seemingly unaware of anything around him. No one tried to stop him, but they all went to peak inside once he'd entered the sanctum.

Numerous candles provided a soft, warm light inside the sanctuary. The single room wasn't very large since it only served one purpose, but the high ceiling created an eerie, cathedral-style echo at the slightest sound. A red carpet was the sole interior decoration aside from the golden candelabras neatly aligned against the side and back walls. The flames occasionally danced on their wicks, casting small and playful shadows in the corners of the room. The place felt inviting to any weary soul, but still a bit mysterious too.

On the altar near the back of the room lay what he sought. Picard had removed her cape and robes when he'd healed her, and these lay neatly folded on the floor beside the altar, though they were still stained with blood. A silver blanket elaborately embroidered with blue and gold thread was keeping her warm in place of her marred clothes. The soft candlelight reflected off her face and shiny blue hair so that she seemed to glow slightly. She looked asleep. A sleeping angel.

Isaac cautiously approached where she lay, both transfixed and afraid of what he saw before him. Eventually, he reached the altar and looked down at her. Was she dead? He pulled off his leather gloves and reached to touch her face but stopped just short of her. What right did he have to touch this pure visage with his sullied hands? He shouldn't even be allowed to gaze at her like this after what he'd done. To destroy someone so flawless and innocent as she was an unforgivable sin; a sin that demanded he suffer unspeakable torment for the rest of eternity.

But he _was_ tormented every second he looked at her and remembered what he'd done. Slowly, he brought up his trembling hand again and just barely brushed his fingers against her cheek. It was still warm. She wasn't dead, at least not yet. He moved some of the loose blue strands away from her eyes and rested the palm of his right hand against the side of her head. His left hand he used to grip her right, waiting for some movement or sound to tell him that she was really OK. But there was none. Her breathing was so faint he had to strain to hear it even in the silence of the sanctum. He swallowed the massive blockage in his throat, though he knew the flood of sorrow behind it was mere seconds away from escaping.

"Mia," he whispered, his voice shaky and cracking. "Please, open your eyes! Please, you have to wake up—you just _have_ to!" He could feel the hot rivers running down his face, gradually flowing faster and faster. Every part of his life essence was crumbling to pieces as he looked at her motionless form. This ethereal woman, the shining light in his life, was slipping away from him. How could he have done it? How could he have hurt someone he loved more than life itself? And what would he do without her light to guide him? He needed her like he needed air to breathe, and seeing her like this was slowly suffocating him, killing him from the inside out. The sorrow, the raw ripping pain overtook him and he broke down into helpless sobs, wrapping his arms around her soft form as tightly as he dared.

"I'm so sorry, Mia!" Isaac's voice was all but drowned out by his tears. It didn't matter; the words seemed feeble and meaningless when he'd done something so awful. Still he begged for her to hear him. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, _I'm sorry_!" He kissed her forehead very lightly, looking back at her peaceful face. "Please wake up! I don't care if you hate me forever, but please Mia…" The words kept getting stuck. "…Just please _don't die_!" That was all he could say. The unending despair wouldn't let him speak anymore—only cry beyond any consolation.

The five others peaking in through the door felt their own hearts breaking as they watched and listened to Isaac. "There must be _something_ we can do," Sheba sniffed quietly, rubbing at her eyes.

Jenna started crying too, throwing her arms around Garet. "This is worse than how he was after the storm! I can't watch him go through this again!"

Garet also turned from the door, returning Jenna's embrace. He couldn't stand seeing his best friend like this either, but he didn't know what to do. Isaac seemed totally unreachable now. Just a shell of what he once was.

"Mia can't leave us," Ivan whispered. "She can't leave _him_."

"I wish I could've done more," said Picard. Why did bad things always happen to good people? It didn't make sense that a tragedy of this magnitude would happen to such a passionate and loving couple.

As he grieved for his love, Isaac felt Mia's life force slipping further away, almost disappearing completely. He panicked as he felt it; the anguish increased so much he thought he'd drop dead right there and then. But even in the midst of all the pain and sorrow that was tearing him apart, he managed to focus just long enough to call upon the final, forbidden power he possessed.

_Revive_. It was the last, sacred power of the Venus Clan, long forbidden from use by anyone. Forbidden because it could bring people back from death or the brink of death. Whatever higher forces existed in this world hated this power, as it rendered theirs meaningless. That's why Revive came with a heavy price. Anyone foolish enough to try to cast it had to know exactly what he or she was doing. The slightest mistake in its execution would steal the life of the caster. And even if performed correctly, there was still no guarantee it would work. Isaac only barely knew about this power from old stories he'd heard on his travels and in Vale. He knew the risks and he knew that he had no experience with trying to command such a mighty force, but he didn't care. His life was worthless without Mia anyway, so he _had_ to try. Anything would be better than losing her completely.

Slowly, his whole body took on the golden light of Venus as he called up all of his Psynergy to perform what could be his last act. He trembled all over and closed his eyes as he kissed Mia. The light left him and went to her instead. Isaac felt all of his energy rapidly drain away, but somehow he knew he wouldn't die. When he opened his eyes and pulled away from Mia, the light had faded. Still she lay motionless, her breathing faint. It hadn't worked, or if it had, it was only prolonging her suffering. He swallowed hard to keep the sorrow from erupting again. He was so cursed and useless. No matter what he did, all he ever brought to the ones he loved was suffering and death. The sparkling diamond ring on her left hand caught his eye, and he recalled the wonderful memories of their time together. He didn't deserve all the happiness she'd brought to him. All he deserved was the despair and loneliness that consumed him now.

He kissed her again, a few of his hot tears running onto her face. "I love you, Mia," he whispered. Then he straightened himself and left the sanctum, staggering out of weakness from the physical and emotional strain. He pushed his way past the others.

"Isaac…" Sheba began.

"Just stay away from me," Isaac said miserably. "You're all in danger from me."

"That's not true!" said Ivan.

"We're your _friends_, Isaac!" Jenna said. "We know you'd never harm us!"

"Mia said the same thing," Isaac whispered. His voice was wavering again. "Please, just stay away! I don't want to hurt anyone ever again!" He took off back towards the woods.

"Isaac!" Garet called. He made a move to follow, but Picard halted him.

"Let him be," he said. "I don't think anyone can save him from his grief."

Garet shook him off. "Maybe, but someone needs to at least keep an eye on him to make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."

"Follow him, Garet," Ivan said. "But keep your distance. You might upset him more if he sees you."

Isaac didn't stop running until he made it back to the spot where…_it_ had happened. His sword was still there on the ground, the blade still mostly red. The pool that had been there was basically gone, having sunken into the ground, though much of the dead grass remained discolored from it. He stared at this maroon grass, remembering the massacre that had been there only a short time before. The image destroyed all that was left of him. He dropped to the ground, brushing his hands over the grass so that the red came off onto them. Cursed, bloodstained hands. In one single moment of insanity he'd destroyed the thing he valued above all others, the shining soulmate he needed to survive. It was all gone. _She_ was gone. All the emptiness and sorrow he felt culminated in two little words that sat on the edge of his mind: _it hurts_.

The tears came back with a vengeance as he lay there in the grass. He truly didn't have the strength or the will to live, but he knew he didn't deserve the calm peacefulness of death either. So he remained there in a state of limbo, unable to fight all of the pain that wracked him as he cried. Under his breath he faintly called to the one he needed, even though each mention of her name felt like another dagger being thrust into his flesh. He wanted to hear the name; it was the only part of her he still had. It seemed like he'd been there for days before finally, exhaustion overwhelmed him and he fell asleep.

Garet had watched helplessly while his friend was brutally tortured from within. He was relieved to see Isaac succumb to his fatigue, thinking that the rest would grant him a temporary solace from all of that pain. Garet approached him slowly, willing himself not to be overtaken by the massive waves of despair emanating off of the figure before him. He crouched beside his friend.

"Ah, Isaac," he said quietly. "It truly is a cruel world that would allow something like this to happen to someone like you." With no idea of what else he could do, he carefully picked Isaac up and carried him back to town.

************

"At last I've finally broken you," the hissing, mocking voice stated proudly.

Isaac looked at the shadow demon through faded, tear-filled eyes. The raw agony tore at him even now while he slept. Or was he awake? He didn't know nor care. All that mattered was that Mia was gone forever.

"I had a feeling this would finally defeat you," the figure continued. "How does it feel, hero? Does it hurt?"

"More than anyone could ever imagine," Isaac replied softly. He didn't have the strength to stand defiant before this creature. He was broken in every sense of the word. "But why Mia? Why her?"

"Isn't it obvious?" the shadow implored. "No matter what I did to you, you kept clinging onto the belief that this 'angel' of yours was enough to keep you going. Every attempt I made at breaking your spirit was negated by that girl's foolish devotion to you and your equally foolish devotion to her. Long story short, in order to get what I wanted, I had to eliminate the final source of hope you were holding onto."

So that was the plot, and now whatever the beast wanted lay before it for the taking. Isaac knew this thing was evil and that he should try to fight it, but he just didn't have the willpower for such an act. He'd already lost too much.

"What do you want?" he asked. "Why have you done all of this?"

The shadow smirked. "I'm surprised a wise hero like yourself hasn't figured that out as well. No matter—I believe you're sufficiently weak enough now for me to destroy you even if you _do_ resist."

"I've already lost this fight," said Isaac. "I know when I'm beaten, so do what you will. _I surrender_."

-----------------------------------------------------

Me: It's hard to critique your own writing! I can't tell if this chapter was agonizingly sad or just plain pathetic. Any opinions?

Sheba: You ended it with _another_ evil cliffhanger!

Ivan: You're enjoying this aren't you?

Me: …Don't you two have someplace you need to be?

Ivan: Do we, Sheba?

Sheba: Not that I recall. I think we'll just stay here and make sure you keep going.

Me: Ack! Someone please make these uninvited guests go away! I hate to say it, but Chapter 7 may not get here very quickly because I have a particularly evil midterm coming up. 

Ivan: No excuses!

Me: ^^;; Please don't kill me…it's my professor's fault!


	7. Lost Soul

Me: Ah! At last I'm free from that God-awful midterm and can go back to doing something I enjoy! Ivan and Sheba also got tired of watching me fry my brain cells studying, so now I can really concentrate…

Ivan: (from outside) Is that so?

Sheba: Didn't you miss us, Midnight?

Me: -.-;;; These two are like a bad roach infestation—they keep coming back! I thought you guys were going to go pester some _other_ GS authors for me and get them to update _their_ stories? *Glares at fellow writers* You people _know_ who you are!

Ivan: Well, we just love you so much you know…

Me: *Sigh* Whatever. Um, the next parts of this fic might be a little hard to follow (I'm doing my best to make it make sense). I only say this because we finally gain a better understanding of the shadow creature, and it primarily inhabits the depths of Isaac's mind (and a mind can be terribly jumbled!).

Oh, I almost forgot: to Cowgirl Ed2002--in answer to your question, this is an I/M fic through and through. But that's all I'm saying at this point! ^_^

Disclaimer: Again with the declaration that I don't own Golden Sun.

***Lost Soul***

Mia found herself standing at the edge of an immensely cold darkness. It kept pulling her closer and closer, the cold numbing her all over. She couldn't fight its draw even though she desperately wanted to. She didn't know what to do or how to resist it. All she was sure of was that she didn't want to enter it no matter what.

Just as her toes began to cross into the blackness, something warm surrounded her. It was a golden, heavenly warmth like the pure rays of the sun. She basked in it happily, and then realized that it was also bringing her back from the darkness. What was this warmth? It felt familiar, comforting. Slowly, very slowly, it guided her further and further away from the darkness and to safety…

  
  


Mia's vision slowly came into focus and she took in her unfamiliar yet hospitable surroundings. _A sanctum?_ she thought. _What am I doing here?_ No sooner had she made a noise, however, than a bunch of voices started in.

"You're awake!" Sheba cried.

"She's _awake_?" Garet questioned in surprise.

"Thank Jupiter!" Ivan sighed.

"You had us so worried!" Jenna exclaimed.

Picard's face appeared above her. "How do you feel?"

It was then that Mia felt a sharp pain below her ribs and the memory of what happened came rushing back. She made an effort to sit up, but quickly discovered that the pain was too great. The owners of the voices she'd heard came into her view, but someone was missing. "Where's Isaac?" she asked.

"He's here," said Ivan. "He's just sleeping right now—probably for the best."

"The poor guy's really been beating himself up," Garet added. "Kind of a relief to see him out like a light."

Mia swallowed hard, able to imagine exactly how tortured Isaac must've been. He was already so vulnerable from the nightmares that had attacked him while he slept; it was a wonder this last incident hadn't driven him to suicide. "How long was I out?"

"You gave us quite a scare," said Sheba. "You lost a lot of blood and you've been unconscious for the past several hours."

"Do you remember what happened in that clearing, Mia?" Jenna asked as calmly as she could. "Isaac was far too upset to tell us anything so we've just been speculating."

"Why indeed would this man you love try to kill you?" Picard questioned.

"He wasn't trying to kill me," Mia began. "He thought he was protecting me."

The others all looked confused. "Please explain then," said Picard.

She tried to recall everything leading up to the incident. "Before it happened, Isaac told me that he's been having these unnaturally realistic nightmares. From what he inferred, some of them must've been really devastating and they've all been gradually wearing him down."

"That must be why he's seemed so distant lately," Ivan said.

"Yes," Mia continued. "Apparently, one part of these nightmares is some sort of black shadow that must be gaining a stronger hold over his mind. When he lashed out at you yesterday, Garet, he actually thought he was attacking this shadow creature."

Garet scratched his head. "So _that_ was why. And here I was worried that he was sick of my charming personality."

Jenna rolled her eyes. "Don't flatter yourself."

"And you think that's what happened here too?" Sheba implored. "That he saw this shadow creature instead of you?"

  


***_Flashback--what Mia saw_***

__

"You're probably right," Isaac sighed. "Let's go." He turned back to her and his expression suddenly changed to panic. "Mia! Behind you!"

She spun around, but couldn't see anything at all. Puzzled, she looked back at Isaac and took a few steps towards him.

"What have you done with her?" he demanded. "Where's Mia?"

"I'm right here," she said in confusion. "What's the matter, Isaac? What did you see?"

His rage was visibly escalating and he drew his sword. "Your fight is with me! Leave Mia out of this!"

Mia gasped when she saw him holding his weapon. This is what had happened yesterday with Garet! He thought she_ was the shadow beast from his dreams! His eyes shone with a desperate determination to protect his true love, but he couldn't see the truth. "Isaac, snap out of it!" she begged. "It's a trick!"_

"We'll just see about that!" he declared, brandishing his trusted Gaia Blade. "Let Mia go this instant or I'll cut you down to size!"

"No, Isaac it's me!" Mia pleaded. "It's really me!"

Isaac lunged at her, swiping at her with his most powerful sword swings. She dodged them all as quickly as she could, terror running through her as she jumped around. "Please, Isaac!" she said. "You have to snap out of it!"

"Mock me all you want," he said. "I'm not giving up until you let Mia go." The Gaia Blade shone with golden light and unleashed Titan Blade. The blast narrowly missed Mia. With few options at her disposal, she sent out a small blast of Psynergy towards his feet, which tripped him up. He skidded to a halt and jumped back at her, stabbing at her again. One swipe finally connected and she staggered back a few steps, blood slowly oozing out of her side.

"Isaac!" she cried. "Please stop and wake up!" She cast another small wave of ice in hopes of knocking him back to his senses. Isaac dodged it and tackled her to the ground. She managed to flip him a short distance but the wound in her side was slowing her down and making it hard to defend herself. Isaac rose and cast Ragnarok for a finishing blow. Mia managed to stand up after the blast but only barely. She started to cast Ply to heal her injuries, but he swiftly got in close and ran her through, twisting the blade as it penetrated her body. She slumped to the ground and saw no more.

***_End Flashback_***

  


"I'm sure of it," said Mia. "I don't think he could even hear my voice when I tried to tell him it was me. When he came after me with his sword, I tried using my Psynergy to trip him up and bring him back to his senses, but it didn't work. It wouldn't surprise me if he thought that beast was attacking him in return. He truly didn't know it was me."

"We saw the light from his Ragnarok attack," said Jenna. "But we got there too late." Her eyes watered at the memory. "Once we got there, he definitely knew it was you. You're lucky you didn't have to see his reaction, Mia. It would've broken your heart."

"It breaks my heart just to think about it," Mia whispered. "My poor Isaac. What is this monster doing to him?"

Picard seemed doubtful. "Forgive me for sounding skeptical, but can we really write off all of his strange behavior to a monster invading his mind? What if there's… _another_ reason for it?"

"You mean that Isaac's really gone off the deep end?" Garet asked, half-joking.

"He's _not_ crazy!" Mia declared adamantly, shocked that anyone would even consider the idea.

"He nearly killed you!" Picard said. "I wouldn't want to think it either, but I have a hard time believing that a mere shadow could cause anyone to do such a thing. An action like that must've been triggered by sheer insanity."

Mia suddenly sat up, even though it hurt. "He's _not_ crazy! Even when he was attacking me, I never once saw a glimpse of insanity in his eyes. I saw someone desperate to protect and defend what he loves. I know it might sound unlikely, but you _have_ to believe me. He's perfectly sane--it's just that something very powerful is tricking him into acting this way."

Silence held for a few moments as the two Mercury Adepts stared at each other with highly focused glares. Eventually, Picard relented, sighing and crossing his arms. "If you say so, Lady Mia."

"I think the real question is what is this thing?" said Ivan. "And more importantly, how can we help Isaac beat it?"

"We should wake him up," Jenna said. "He'll be so relieved to see that Mia's all right."

Garet went to the spot where Isaac lay sleeping on the floor and shook him lightly. With some effort, Mia managed to swing her legs over the side of the altar and get to her feet, though she still wobbled a bit. Her white slip was tarnished with huge blood stains on both the front and back. The size of these surprised even her, as did the stains on her robe when she pulled it back on. _I should be dead,_ she thought. _What was that warmth that saved me? It felt so familiar…_

"Hey, Isaac, come on," Garet said with a vague sense of urgency.

"Something wrong?" Sheba asked.

"He's not waking up," Garet replied, shaking his friend again. "I understand he's tired but this isn't natural. Come on, Isaac--wake up!"

The others gathered around. Mia sat on the floor and pulled Isaac's head into her lap, running her fingers through his hair. "I'm all right now, Isaac. See?" She kissed him but still he didn't stir, as if he were trapped in his slumber. A realization hit her. "Oh no! That creature must've done something to him!"

"But what?" Sheba questioned.

"We have to do something," said Jenna, her voice rising in panic. "What if that…_thing_ is hurting him?"

Ivan looked thoughtful. "The only option I can think of is to look into Isaac's mind and find out what's going on in there."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Garet asked. "What if that thing starts attacking you?"

"Does anyone have a better idea?" Ivan implored. The others shrugged. "All right then. Mia, if you're up for it, I'd like you to look with me."

"Why Ivan?" she asked.

"For several reasons, not the least of which is that Isaac needs to know you're all right. And you were also the last one to really talk with him, so you have a better idea of what's circulating through his mind than any of us."

Mia bit her lower lip, unsure if she was recovered enough for this task. But she couldn't sit by and do nothing. This was her one and only and he needed help. "OK. What do I have to do, Ivan?"

Ivan seated himself on the floor next to her and Isaac. He took her hand. "Just close your eyes and I'll do the rest. Sheba, I'm counting on you to bail us out if it looks like something's going wrong."

Sheba nodded. "Please be careful, you two. You can never be sure of what you'll find inside of someone's memory."

"Of course," Ivan said. With that, he and Mia shut their eyes and were enveloped in a purple light as he cast Mind Read.

************

"So this is the inside of Isaac's mind?" Mia asked.

"Yes," Ivan replied. The two of them were standing in totally empty space. Everything around them was an endless midnight blue, cloaked in a fine mist. "If we press forward, we'll see flashes from his memory."

"What are we looking for exactly?"

"Well, we need to gather clues about what's been affecting his mind. We also need to find Isaac's mental self so we can find out why he's not waking up."

"Come again?" Mia was confused.

"Every person has a physical self and a mental self," Ivan explained. "The physical self is the part we see in the outside world with our eyes. The mental self is the core of someone's mind--the inner person who controls all of the physical self's actions. It's also a curator of memories, thoughts and feelings. The two of us that are here right now are our mental selves because our bodies are still in the real world where they belong. Mind Read allows the mental selves—the true selves—to communicate directly without any interference from the physical world. Does that make any sense?"

"A little," Mia replied. "This 'mental self' is the guardian of everything in this space, right? And he'll look just like Isaac just like we look the same too?"

"Right. The Isaac we find in here is the very essence of his soul. It is the part of him that makes him who he is. I know it's confusing, but just trust me on this, OK?"

Mia nodded. "Lead the way, Ivan."

As they proceeded deeper into the recesses of Isaac's psyche, thousands of palm-sized dots of light appeared, looking like an endless field of sparkles. "Here are his memories," Ivan said.

"These are his memories?" Mia questioned. "But they just look like drops of light."

Ivan picked up one of the lights. "You have to open them first. It's sort of like looking at lots of small picture books." He took the light he had and pulled it apart, forming a scroll. He turned a deep red when he looked at it, promptly tearing his eyes away. "_Oh my_! Mia, I had no idea you two were meeting by moonlight!"

Mia snatched the scroll away and looked at it. Sure enough, on the scroll was a moving image of one of her late night visits to Isaac! She turned scarlet red all over. "Ivan, you _cannot_ tell another living soul about this! _Promise me_!"

"I won't, I won't!" He broke into laughter. "I _love_ reading minds! I never know what kind of secrets I'll learn!"

She smacked him with the rolled up scroll and then tossed it away. It turned back into a dot of light. "Stop laughing! We have more important things to do here, remember?"

"Right." Ivan collected himself and looked at all the memory lights.

"There are so many," Mia said. "How are we supposed to tell them apart without opening every one of them?"

"By the color and intensity of its light. Recent memories are always the brightest, and the color denotes the mood. That one we just looked at was bright white, indicating it was recent and _very_ pleasurable!"

"Enough of that!" she scowled, blushing again.

"Sorry!" His eyes glowed for a moment and a few dozen very bright lights came towards him. Nearly all of them were deep shades of blue and purple, and a few were black. "Wow, look at all of this. So many sad memories…"

"You say that like it surprises you. We both know he hasn't been himself lately."

"True, but look at his older memories--many of those are darkly colored as well. I know everyone has inner worries, fears and sorrows, but I never pictured Isaac as the kind to have this many."

Mia pulled open one of the lights before her and watched the moving image for a few moments. "This looks just like the nightmare he described to me earlier."

"A nightmare?" Ivan looked on with her, seeing the scene where he and all of the others left Isaac behind in the wilderness. "That has to be a dream for sure—we've never done anything like that, nor would we ever. But what is this doing collected with his real memories?"

"You mean it shouldn't be here?"

"No. Dreams, wishes and fantasies are stored in a separate part of the mind." He narrowed his eyes. "Small wonder why Isaac's been acting weird. If his dreams have been stored here, that means they've felt as real to him as if they _actually_ happened!"

"Poor Isaac!" Mia whispered, closing the scroll. "Then he's been carrying this sorrow and loneliness with him ever since he had this nightmare, just as if we really _had_ abandoned him like that once!"

"Precisely," said Ivan. "Something has deliberately placed these manifestations here to _force_ him to feel such hurtful emotions." He fumed. "This is beyond cruel! Why would someone do this to him?"

"I don't know, but we have to find out. Should we try to find him now?"

"Yes definitely." His eyes glowed again. "I'm vaguely sensing his mental energies down this way. Come on."

They quickly moved through the dark blue expanse. It gradually turned to black the further they went, until everything was so murky they couldn't see much of anything. No memory lights shone here. "He's close," Ivan said. "But I've never seen a place this dark in any mind I've read. It's not natural."

Mia shuddered. "It gives me the creeps." She went a few steps further, not liking the idea of finding her beloved in such a scary place. "Isaac? Are you there?" She suddenly bumped into some sort of wall and fell over with a grunt. "What was that?"

Ivan touched the barrier and inspected it more closely. It was tinted black but see-through, allowing him to make out a figure on the other side of it. "I don't know what this thing is or where it came from, but Isaac's there on the other side. Look."

"It can't be!" Mia exclaimed. She looked through the barrier and sure enough, there was Isaac. He was sitting in the far corner, clutching his knees, and thick black vines were snaked all around him, binding him to the back wall and floor. He appeared slightly transparent too, as if he were slowly fading out of existence. She knocked on the barrier, calling to him, but he didn't react in the least.

"So this is why we couldn't get him to wake up," Ivan said. "This barrier has him completely blocked off from his body."

"Bingo," said another voice. The two saw a pair of glowing red eyes staring at them through the darkness. The shadow's outline could barely be seen amid all the black. "I wasn't expecting to have company."

"_You're_ the demon that's been causing all of this!" Mia growled angrily. "What have you done to Isaac?"

The shadow glowered at her. "I thought I took care of you for sure. No matter--not even Isaac's angel love can save him now. This vessel belongs to me!"

"'Vessel?'" Mia questioned.

"His body," said Ivan. "Don't you see, Mia? Isaac's spirit has been cut off from his body and now this thing means to take over! It's sort of like possession, only this will be _irreversible_!"

"But what will happen to Isaac?" Mia asked fearfully.

"Stupid girl," the shadow hissed. "Your precious Isaac is disappearing." It grinned fiendishly. "Those vines are draining away all that's left of him. It is only a matter of time before he vanishes completely and I will own this vessel forever."

"No!" Mia cried. She turned back to the wall, hitting it with both hands. "Isaac! Isaac, you have to break out of there! You have to fight back!"

"He can't hear you," said the shadow gleefully. "He surrendered to me and I made him my prisoner. Nothing can reach him now that he's under my power, not even you."

"All of this makes perfect sense now!" Ivan fumed. "You gave Isaac those horrible nightmares and tricked him into hurting people to weaken his will so you could take control of his body! And now that he's completely in your clutches, he lacks the inner strength to fight back!"

"Exactly," the shadow replied with a laugh. "Brilliant, isn't it? I must say, it turned out to be much simpler than I thought it would be. For such a powerful Adept, he was quite easy to break. So much inner guilt, sorrow and fear to feed off of--a veritable feast of bad feelings!"

"Monster!" Mia screamed.

"What manner of beast are you, anyway?" Ivan asked. "I've dealt with demonic spirits before, but never one quite like you."

"My kind are often called 'Psynergy Eaters' because we destroy the souls of Adepts to gain their Psynergy." It smirked again. "But I would rather be called 'Despair,' since that is what I always bring to my victims." The red eyes narrowed. "Now, I believe you two have worn out your welcome."

"We'd better get out of here," Ivan muttered.

"Not without freeing Isaac!" Mia declared, her eyes filled with tears. "We can't abandon him like this! That thing means to _kill_ him!" But before Mia could object further, Ivan had grabbed her and the two of them disappeared in a flash of purple light. Despair cackled and looked back at the barrier.

"Nothing can stop me from getting what I want," it said. "Nothing at all."

One of the vines tightened around Isaac's neck. He glanced over and saw the black shadow of Despair vanish from sight. He sighed to himself. That wasn't Mia's voice he'd heard—just another illusion created to torment him, to remind him of what he'd done. She was gone forever and he had no one but himself to blame for it. The wound of losing her was still wide open and tearing at him. He'd give anything to turn back time and prevent it from happening. Even though he didn't deserve to be with her, he wanted her to be alive and happy. If she were safe, nothing else would matter. But he'd destroyed any chance of that, and this lonely prison was what he deserved for all his mistakes, both past and present. A just punishment for his crimes, and no one would ever be touched by his cursed existence again. He looked at his hands, which he could just barely see through. It wouldn't be long. Soon he'd be gone and the world would be all the better for it. That was the one thing he could do right.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

Me: I hope that wasn't too hard to follow. We're building to the climax, folks! Can't you just feel the excitement in the air?!

Sheba: Open up this door! You need us to keep you from saying dumb stuff like that!

Ivan: You finally gave me more than two lines in a chapter! ^_^

Sheba: Shut up, Ivan!

Ivan: You're just jealous.

Sheba: -.-+ Am not!

Me: And here I thought Mars was the hot-tempered element. Well, hope Chapter 7 was worth the wait. Eight is well under way.


	8. The Return

Me: All right, I have finally fortified my door to keep any wayward Adepts from barging in on me while I'm writing.

Ivan: Come on, let us in!

Sheba: We brought cookies!

Me: Oh please—that's the oldest trick in the book. At least be original!

Sheba: Where's Garet when we need him? He could blast down this door.

Ivan: Leave it to him to bail on us when we need his help.

Me: This chapter has a lot of switching back and forth between the real world and the interior of Isaac's mind. To help make it clearer, the passages in _italics _denote what's going on in his mind, OK?

Disclaimer: If you've read this whole story, you already know that Camelot is the commander of Golden Sun.

***The Return***

"Why did you do that Ivan?" Mia demanded. "We have to go back _now_!"

"Calm down!" Ivan ordered. "There was no way the two of us could take on that creature. Didn't you feel its mental energy? It's incredibly powerful and it's likely growing even stronger as it feeds off of Isaac's life force. We have to think this through carefully."

Mia rubbed at her eyes, knowing he was right but hating to have to lose a single moment. She looked down at Isaac and thought of how wrong this all was. He was still very much alive at the outset--his body was still warm and she could see the rise and fall of his chest. It was hard to believe that in reality he was dying. It tore her apart. _This must be how he felt when he thought he was losing me,_ she thought. She willed herself not to cry, but it was a struggle. _It hurts! I'm not going to let that demon take you away from me—not now, not ever!_

"Sounds like the two of you discovered some important information," said Sheba.

"Yes," Ivan said. "And all of it bad, I'm afraid." He drifted into an explanation of everything they'd seen inside of Isaac's mind, and the others listened intently. There was an abnormally long pause when Ivan had finished.

"Shit," Garet said flatly to break the silence.

"I heard of Psynergy Eaters in many old legends," said Picard. "Everyone thought they were just a myth. Perhaps no one wanted to imagine such a fearsome creature as actually existing."

"What can we do?" Jenna asked. "We have to stop that thing!"

"Agreed," said Sheba. "But how?"

"I was hoping the rest of you might think of something," Ivan admitted. "For once, I'm fresh out of ideas."

"What?" Garet questioned in disbelief. "But you're the smart one, Ivan!"

Ivan shrugged. "Somehow it's hard for me to be innovative without Isaac here to help me. It's shocking how much I've come to depend on him. I never realized it until now."

Sheba nodded in agreement. "I think we've all come to rely on his strength to guide us. Maybe we even took it for granted."

"I guess none of us could see his vulnerabilities because we didn't want to believe they existed," said Jenna sadly. "During this whole journey, he's been our rock, and we all assumed he always would be."

"We're a lousy bunch of friends, aren't we?" Garet implored. "We got so wrapped up in what we were doing and thinking that we forgot to consider _his_ feelings." He sighed. "I'm sorry, Isaac. I guess I _am _just a big, stupid oaf." He waited for Jenna to make a retort, but she wasn't in the right mood to do so.

Picard smiled slightly. "All of you have been touched by the true power of Venus."

"The what?" Ivan questioned.

"An old Lemurian belief," said Picard. "They say members of the Venus Clan have the inborn power to draw other people close to them. Like the earth itself, they offer protection and stability to the ones they love most. The purer the soul, the stronger this drawing and protective power grows. I have not known Isaac long, but from what all of you have said, he must have a soul as pure as a crystal to have drawn you all so close to him."

Mia couldn't hold back her tears any longer. "Which is why we can't let that demon take him away from us. We just can't!"

"Don't cry, Mia," Jenna said, resisting her own tears. "We'll think of something somehow."

"Can't we just go into his mind and beat that thing up?" Garet asked.

"If only it were that simple," said Ivan. "Even if we _did_ confront Despair, neither of us has the ability to destroy it. It's fully entwined itself in Isaac's mind so that only he has the power to dispel it. But he clearly doesn't have the strength to fight back." He sighed. "Only a pure evil would prey on a soul as good as Isaac's. I wish I knew how to stop that thing."

"We can't let that demon win!" Jenna said as she scrubbed at her eyes.

Sheba, who had been thinking quite hard while listening to them, let out an unexpected laugh. "That's it!" she exclaimed. "That's what we have to do!"

"What?" everyone else asked.

"If Isaac doesn't have the strength to fight back," Sheba began "then it's up to all of us to _give_ him the strength he needs."

"How are we supposed to do that?" Garet questioned.

"By focusing all of our power on him," said Sheba. "We have to enter his mind and send him all the inner strength we possess."

"Do you think that'll work?" Jenna asked.

"It's worth a try," Sheba pressed. "We can't just give up!" She snatched Ivan's hands. "Come on, Ivan! If we combine our Psynergy, we should be strong enough to get our power past that barrier!"

Ivan smiled, unable to recall ever seeing her this fired up. "All right, let's do it."

Just as they were about to cast Mind Read, Isaac, or at least his body, stirred and sat up. The others backed away slightly, unsure of what they were going to encounter. He stretched and opened his eyes, which had turned from cobalt blue to a deep, haunting red.

"Yes, this is it!" said Despair's hissing, evil voice. The sound knocked everyone into stunned silence. "This is the power I've thirsted for--the might of the chosen warrior of Venus!"

Mia was the first to find her voice. "Let Isaac go right now!" she cried. "Give him back to us!"

He glared at her. "Pathetic little wretch. I'd kill you if I weren't in such a good mood." He rose and took in his newly acquired body. While not as tall or as filled out as he would've liked, it was certainly strong and filled with incredible Psynergy. "Marvelous power. Simply marvelous!"

"What now, guys?" Garet asked.

Picard moved swiftly and restrained Despair, which wasn't easy even though he was physically larger. "Do what you were going to do, but make it quick!"

***

_Isaac could barely see his hands. He truly was just a ghost now--a faint trace of a young man who'd once walked the earth. Everything before him was consumed by darkness, and the vines twisted around him were multiplying and reshaping this place to suit Despair's needs. The memory lights, which he could see far off in the distance, were trying to escape the grasp of these vines, to little avail. Soon this ghost and this mind would disappear completely and only Despair would remain. Soon…_

"Isaac!" He heard his name called by several familiar voices all at once. They seemed miles away, totally beyond his reach from his prison. Still, he strained to hear them.

"Don't give up, Isaac! We're here to help you!" Sheba's voice.

"If you're too weak to fight, pull your strength from us!" Ivan's voice.

"Please don't leave us, Isaac! We need you here--it's where you belong!" Jenna's voice.

"You're not allowed to quit now. This whole thing will fall apart without you here!" Garet's voice.

Even though they seemed so far away, Isaac could feel the presence of his friends surrounding him. A surge of power rushed through him, and he saw his hands slowly phase back into solidity again. He struggled against the vines, but they fiercely resisted and tightened around him. It was no use—not even his friends had the power needed to break free from here. And then one more voice echoed from beyond the wall.

"Don't let Despair consume you, Isaac. I know that it must seem impossible, but we all love you and we're willing to help you fight it. Just don't give up!"

"Mia…" Isaac whispered. It couldn't be, could it? No, this had_ to be another trick. She was dead--he'd killed her. But he could vaguely sense her calming aura adding to the power he'd already received from the others. What if she really was still alive? The slim possibility of seeing her again helped loosen a few of the vines and he started ripping them away._

***

With a blast of Psynergy, Despair freed himself of Picard's grasp, also breaking the Mind Read connection Ivan and Sheba had. He ran out of the sanctum.

"Did you reach him?" Picard asked.

"We tried our best," said Ivan. "Come on--we can't let him get away!"

The six of them followed Despair as he made his way out of the village and back towards the woods, nonchalantly blasting buildings as he went. He laughed to himself, thoroughly enjoying his new found powers. Ragnarok, Quake Sphere, Mother Gaia, Stone Spire--he used all of Isaac's most powerful abilities to send people reeling through the streets and delighted in their terror. The thin layer of snow that had settled on the ground was thrown back into the sky as the earth trembled under his power. When he reached the woods, he continued breaking and uprooting trees to clear a path.

"Such amazing destructive power!" he laughed.

"Bastard!" Jenna cried as the group caught up to him. "How dare you do such a thing with Isaac's powers!"

"He learned those techniques to protect this world, not destroy it!" Garet added.

"I am in command of this power now," said Despair. "And I will use it however I please!" He lifted his arms and brought down Stone Spire, forcing everyone to scatter lest they be buried under the rock.

"What can we do?" Sheba asked. "We can't fight back without hurting Isaac too!"

"We can only hope that Isaac manages to regain control," Ivan said.

"Your precious Isaac is gone forever," Despair said gleefully. "He will never be able to break free of me no matter what any of you do!"

"Neither of us are giving up on him," said Mia firmly.

Despair glowered at her again. "Does the angel really believe she can save him with her _love_? You're pathetic! Your devotion to him is naïve and pointless, and I won't hear anymore of it!" He started to direct an attack at her but suddenly stopped and aimed it back at the trees.

"Isaac!" she called. "I know you're still in there somewhere. Fight this thing! You can't give up!"

***

_No matter how hard Isaac struggled against his bonds, they kept regenerating and pulling him back. He strained with everything he had and it still wasn't enough, not even with the added power from his friends._

"You can't break out of there," Despair told him, the hissing voice echoing from everywhere. "You're worthless--completely useless and weak. You may as well give up."

"I refuse to stay in this place a moment longer," Isaac said, still struggling. "My friends are waiting for me, and so is Mia!"

"Do you really think they want you back?" Despair implored. "Look at all the pain, suffering and death you've brought to all of them! You're nothing but a failure and a curse. You couldn't save your father's life, you abandoned your mother, you've led all of your friends on a perilous quest, and you killed your own true love! They don't deserve to have a curse like you bringing them down and endangering their lives! Everyone is better off without you and you know it!"

Isaac stopped squirming. He wanted to flee this place so badly, but more than that, he didn't want to hurt anyone else. The memory of what he'd done to Mia tore at him again. If the one he loved most of all wasn't safe from him, then no one was. What right did he have to continue exposing the world to the threat that was he? Wouldn't everyone be safer if he remained here all alone?

"Fight back if you please, but you'll only keep on hurting the ones you care about," said Despair. "If you truly want to protect them, you'll give up and stay in there. You'll be doing the whole world a favor."

Slowly, all of the vines Isaac had broken reformed around him and he didn't resist their pull. If Mia were still alive, she'd be safer without him, and if she were dead, then what was left for him to fight for? He couldn't bare the thought of hurting the few loved ones he knew he still had. Despair was right--they were all better off without him.

***

"He's given up," Despair said proudly.

"No!" the others cried.

"We have to reach him again!" said Jenna desperately.

"I won't let you!" Despair declared. He cast Stone Spire again, immediately following with Quake Sphere to keep them jumping.

"Doesn't he ever get tired?" Garet asked.

"He must not be limited by the physical strain of casting Psynergy," said Sheba.

"Just our luck," Garet muttered.

Another Stone Spire and then he tried to aim Ragnarok at Mia, but the shot missed her by a mile. He tried again with the same result and grew visibly angrier. "How are you doing that?!" he demanded. "How are you dodging my attacks so quickly?"

"But I'm not dodging," Mia said in confusion. "Your aim is off." 

"My aim is not off in the least!" Despair declared. To prove his point, he cast Mother Gaia towards the others, who rolled out of way just in time. He approached Mia, the thirst for blood in his eyes. But as soon as he tried to strike at her, a sharp pain struck him and he clutched at his chest. "What is this feeling? Something is wrong with this vessel!" He glared at Mia. "How are you doing this? Why can't I kill you?"

Everyone else looked to Mia. "He can't hurt you, Mia!" Ivan exclaimed. "This is your chance—you have to try to speak to Isaac's soul! You're the only one who can get close enough to him to do it!"

"But how can I do that?" she asked. "I can't read minds!"

"You're his soulmate, aren't you?" said Jenna. "Use that bond, Mia! It has to hold a power!"

Mia nodded and looked into Despair's haunting eyes. An instinct that even she couldn't fully comprehend made her embrace him as tightly as she could, resting her head on his shoulder and closing her eyes. He tried to struggle against her but couldn't break free from her grasp.

"Isaac…" she trailed softly.

***

_"…Isaac?" Mia called. She recognized her surroundings, but the area had grown much darker and was taking on a new shape as Despair's power continued to grow. The thick black vines were everywhere, and they were spreading out all over the place, snaking their way around the void. She ambled through the dark, trying to find that barrier she'd seen before so she could smash it open and set Isaac free._

"Get out of here!" Despair shouted at her. The glowing red eyes penetrated the blackness and started sending out shots of dark power towards her. Mia jumped and dodged the bullets nimbly, but was stopped short when some of the vines encircled her and lifted her up. She struggled against them with all her might but they wouldn't release her. The eyes formed one concentrated ball of energy and sent it out to destroy her. Mia braced herself for the expected blow as the orb flew towards her. The blast was unexpectedly deflected from her, however, as more of the vines knocked it away. Both Mia and Despair were visibly startled, and then the vines lashed out and smacked Despair deep into the recesses of the void.

"What was that?" Mia asked aloud softly. Then she realized that the vines holding her up hadn't restrained her at all; they had simply formed a shield to help protect her from the demon. And now that it was gone, the vines carefully set her down and flopped back to the floor. Baffled, she pressed a little further forward and saw the faint glint of the black barrier, though she couldn't make out anything other than darkness beyond it. She started to head right up to it, but some of the vines sprung up and very gently pushed her away. What was going on here?

"Isaac?" she called, trying to get closer to the barrier again. The vines wouldn't let her and formed their own wall to block her progress. "Isaac! It's me—Mia!"

"I know," she heard his voice say from behind the barrier. "I'd recognize your presence anywhere. I can't believe it's really you! I thought you were dead!"

"Well, I'm not," she said cheerfully. "I've come to help you fight back against this thing." She pulled at the vine blockade, snapping and ripping them apart in an effort to work her way past them. But the vines reformed and a few more pushed her away again. Frustrated, she attacked them with more gusto and determination, and they resisted just as hard as she fought. Eventually, the vines split and just scooped her up and carried her back from the barrier. She squirmed and ripped at these to make them drop her, but they stubbornly refused. "Stupid things!" she fumed. "Let go of me right now!"

"I'm so sorry, Mia!" Isaac's voice said quietly. She stopped tearing at the vines to listen to him. He sounded so empty and sad. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Of course," said Mia. "Don't apologize, Isaac; it wasn't your fault." She smiled slightly. "I'm sorry that I gave you such a scare, but I'm OK now, and I know we can beat this thing together if we try." With a grunt, she jumped out of the vines and dashed for the barrier. But once again, the same vines blocked her progress and pushed her away. How could she get by these things when they were so persistent? She started ripping at them again, and then realized that they weren't offering any real resistance to her, but just fell away as soon as she pulled at them. All they were doing was keeping her away from that last barrier and nothing more, not attacking or fighting her. In fact, when they'd touched her, it had been very carefully, not the way she'd expect an enemy to react to her. "I don't get," she said to herself aloud. "I thought these vines were controlled by the demon Despair, so why did they protect me and why aren't they attacking me?" Tentatively, she outstretched a hand and let a single vine loosely coil itself around her forearm, and she felt a warmth radiating from it. A very familiar warmth. "Oh my god!" she whispered in shock. "Isaac, it's you—you're_ controlling the vines!"_

"Yes, and no," Despair's voice echoed from beyond. It sounded quite annoyed. "This is an unforeseen complication. It seems that in the process of dissolving his soul, his strongest desire accidentally merged with me. Usually all traces of my victims disappear when I assert control, but this one emotion was apparently too powerful to destroy, and it is restricting my actions. Consider yourself lucky, angel—you are completely immune to my power, even though he is not."

"Immune?" Mia questioned in confusion. "But why is that?"

"Apparently because he wants to protect you and keep you safe. This pathetic human emotion called 'love' never ceases to irritate me. But it doesn't matter; even if I can't dispose of you, I still have control of this vessel." The demon's voice faded away into the void.

Mia smiled. "I should've known that monster couldn't destroy you completely. But that still doesn't explain why the vines are pushing me back…" She trailed off as she suddenly knew precisely why she was being kept away from that barrier. "Isaac, you don't have to push me away!" she cried. "I'm not in any danger here!"

"Please, Mia," Isaac said. "Just go away."

"No!" she declared. "I'm not going to abandon you for that thing to devour. Why aren't you fighting back? Why won't you let me help you?"

"Because I don't want to hurt you. I don't want to hurt anyone ever again, and all I ever bring to the people I care about is suffering and death."

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is!" he insisted sadly. "I couldn't save my father three years ago, I let Saturos kidnap Jenna, I abandoned my mother, I set this whole quest in motion by taking the Elemental Stars, and I nearly killed you! Everyone's better off without me."

Mia thought she'd cry. She could now feel all of his guilt and sorrow wracking her own soul as well, gnawing at her like rabid fangs. How long had he been carrying this pain with him? How long had he been blaming himself for all of these things which had been far beyond his control? He'd kept it buried so deep within him that she'd been unable to detect it before, and now it was wound so tightly around him that he didn't know how to let it go. She had to relieve him of this burden or he'd never be able to break free from Despair's power.

"Oh, Isaac," she said soothingly. "You're not a danger to anyone. We've only survived on this quest because of your strength and your protection. You're the light that guides us, the rock we stand on, the glue that holds us together! You've saved all our lives so many times, both in battle and just by being here, and all the while never considering your own well being. These things that you've been blaming yourself for weren't your fault—it was fate!" She looked towards the barrier sadly. "This world has been so unjustly cruel to you, Isaac. It's stolen so many precious things from you and taken advantage of your kindness and your sense of duty. I think that for once you should forgot about everyone else and take something back for yourself. Tell me honestly, Isaac; what is it that you_ want?"_

Isaac couldn't remember the last time he'd considered his own wishes. He thought a few moments, absorbing Mia's words and looking at his dismal surroundings. "I…I want to be free of this place," he said slowly. "And I want to be with you and the others."

She smiled. "Then come back to us, Isaac. You deserve to have what you want."

"But who will protect all of you from me?" he asked. "I don't want to hurt anyone, especially you, Mia. I thought I lost you once--I can't go through that again!"

"You're not_ a danger to us, Isaac," she said. "In fact, you're probably the best protection any of us could ask for. I didn't realize it before, but now I know what saved my life. It was _you_, Isaac—it must've been you! A great warmth pulled me back from a cold darkness, and it was the exact same warmth I feel emanating off of you right now!"_

Then the Revive had worked after all! He couldn't believe it--he'd actually done something right and saved her life! The vines very slowly retreated, allowing Mia to approach the barrier. After a moment, Isaac appeared on the other side, no longer restrained by the vines. "Really?" he asked. "Are you certain that's what it was?"

"Yes. There's not a doubt in my mind that it was you." She smiled again. "You performed a real miracle for me, Isaac. I'd like to reward you for it if you'll let me."

"Mia…" Isaac trailed, looking into her eyes. That power of hers, the power to reassure him and calm the chaos within him, had managed to breach the wall and flowed through him, replacing all of the fear, guilt and sorrow. The longing to be with her was just too great to resist. He pressed on the barrier and it started to crack, then it shattered completely. Off in the distance, Despair let out an anguished howl of defeat as its hold over Isaac was severed.

***

A thin veil of black mist floated away and dissolved into the air. Strong arms hugged Mia fiercely, but it was out of love, not hatred. She looked up and saw Isaac's bright blue eyes meeting her gaze. "Welcome back," she whispered, smiling. He smiled in return and they shared a long, happy kiss. The instant the others saw it, they knew everything was all right again and grinned at the pair.

"Wow, that has to be some kind of record!" Ivan said. "I haven't seen them last this long since their first kiss at the Venus Lighthouse!"

"Love is so grand!" Sheba gushed.

"Indeed," said Picard.

Garet tapped his foot impatiently. "Don't you two have to _breathe_ at some point?"

"Shut up, Garet!" Jenna scowled. "You're killing the mood!"

Mia and Isaac reluctantly pulled away from each other, at which point, Jenna, Garet, Ivan and Sheba tackled him in a group hug, all of them laughing. The nightmare was over at long last. But unknown to any of them, a short distance away, the black mist reappeared and began to reform into a new shape.

---------------------------------------------------------

Me: OK, I know that was weird, but it wasn't complete crap, was it?

Sheba: Let us in!

Ivan: It's cold out here in the hallway!

Me: Give it up, you two. Go bother someone else or I'll call security.

Ivan: You're mean!

Sheba: See if we ever help you out again!

Me: Yeah, I know this is another bad cliffhanger, but you can blame Triad Orion for forcing my hand (turnabout is fair play). Besides, you didn't really think I'd let the fight end that easily, did you? Hehe…^_^


	9. Despair's End

Ivan + Sheba: (rapping on door) LET US IN!

Me: For the last time, GO AWAY! You two have seriously worn out your welcome!

Mia: So here's where you two trouble makers have been! What have you been up to all this time?

Ivan: O.O It was all Garet's idea!

Sheba: He convinced us to come pester the author to give us makeout scenes!

Mia: -.-;;;;; That was six chapters ago!

Sheba: But she's evil we tell you!

Ivan: We're trying to put an end to her evil-ness!

Mia: Quiet! You two are coming back with me NOW!

Me: ^_^ I knew my reinforcements would come eventually!

Disclaimer: Oh skip it. I'm so sick of these things I could scream!

***Despair's End***

Something tingled in the back of Isaac's mind. _You haven't won yet, hero,_ the serpentine voice said to him. _If you think your angel is enough to drive me away, you're sadly mistaken. I'm not going to let you escape!_

"Look out!" Isaac shouted, shoving his friends aside. A split second later, a tremendous blast of black energy shot out of the sky, forming a huge crater where they'd all been. Everyone looked up to see Despair's mysterious black form descend from above. It had grown even larger in size and had taken on a shape similar to that of a dragon. The hollow red eyes pulsed with light briefly as it stared the group down.

"What the hell is that thing?!" Garet asked.

"That would be the shadow demon, Despair," said Ivan fearfully. "It wasn't nearly this big before. How did it get to be so huge?"

"I am a creature born of sorrow, guilt, self-hatred, and loneliness," Despair hissed. "As the soul I am linked to succumbs to all of these feelings, my power multiplies to unheard levels. I may have lost the vessel I craved for the moment, but I have fed off of enough of the required emotions to gain the power I need to make it mine forever!"

"So this thing was created by Isaac's feelings?" Sheba inquired.

"Boy, Isaac," said Garet. "Leave it to you to never do anything half-assed."

"Well, anything worth doing is worth doing well," Isaac joked through his teeth. But he was inwardly quite relieved that the others could see the creature too. He drew his sword as they all backed away from it.

"Do you mean to fight me, hero?" Despair implored. "Your resistance is futile. I will win this battle no matter what you do!"

"But this time he won't be fighting alone," Jenna said, brandishing her staff. "We're willing to make you pay for what you've done to our Isaac!"

The others nodded in agreement, pulling out their own weapons. Despair laughed at them. "_Your_ Isaac? Ha! He is mine, and there's nothing any of you can do to change that!" It opened its mouth and exhaled a ball of darkly-colored fire. Picard immediately countered with Deluge to block the flames and the others spread themselves out to surround Despair and hit it from all sides. From behind, Sheba and Ivan cast Spark Plasma and Destruct Ray, while from the front Garet and Jenna blasted it with Flare Storm and Inferno. Mia used Ice Missile from another direction, and Isaac attempted to cast Ragnarok but couldn't focus his power. The creature had separated from him, but not before it had exhausted most of his energy reserves. 

When the flames, ice and lightening had faded away, Despair grinned at them unharmed. It looked down at Isaac. "Feeling tired, hero?" It opened its hand and a bunch of black vines shot out of the palm, wrapping around Isaac's right arm and sword. "Why fight this useless battle? You'll only prolong the inevitable."

Garet hacked through the vines effortlessly. Several more attacks erupted from behind Despair. First Jenna's Fiery Blast, then Tempest and Shine Plasma from Sheba and Ivan, and then Freeze Prism and Glacier from Picard and Mia. Just as these Psynergies were about to connect, Despair dissipated into a mist, vanishing into the atmosphere. A moment later, it reformed itself unseen behind some of its attackers. It unleashed a furious blast of power, hitting Ivan and Jenna dead-on and throwing them up against a clump of fallen trees. When the others reacted, Despair vanished from sight again.

"Cheap shot," Jenna groaned, slowly rising. "Come on out and fight fair!" Mia cast Wish to refresh she and Ivan.

"That thing moves just like a shadow," Picard observed.

"Too bad it isn't as _harmless_ as a shadow," Sheba added.

Everyone braced themselves and looked around, waiting for the demon to make its next move. The sinister laugh echoed around them, gradually coming closer and then dying away. It was taunting them, waiting for them to make one fatal mistake. Naturally, this got under Garet and Jenna's skins the most, and the two craned their necks impatiently as they searched for some visible sign of the creature.

Suddenly, more of the black vines sprouted up from the ground underneath Isaac, wrapping around him and lifting him up. The dragon-shaped shadow appeared beside him, glaring at him with its soulless eyes. He glared back defiantly but couldn't do much else while he was trapped. The others attacked Despair again, except for Mia who aimed a blast of ice at the vines. It bounced off of them, and Despair dodged the rest of the onslaught. It twisted its neck to get right in Mia's face.

"Your love for him won't amount to anything in the end," it mocked her. "You're fighting for the curse of a failed and worthless man. Give him up. You'll be happier without him."

"You just don't get it do you?" Mia implored, smirking at the beast. "This power you despise so much will be your undoing."

Picard expertly threw his sword like a guided missile. It sliced through the vines and Isaac dropped to the ground. Despair snickered and disappeared again.

"Why is it toying with us this way?" Ivan asked.

"It's working on my last nerve," Garet added.

"It delights in confusing and tormenting people," said Isaac. "I don't know how to defeat it. It's unlike anything we've ever encountered."

"Picard, you said you've heard of Psynergy Eaters before," Sheba said. "You wouldn't by chance know of any weaknesses they may have?"

"No, I'm sorry," Picard replied. "All of the old stories mentioned them in passing as horrible creatures—the bane of all Adepts. If anyone ever encountered these things in the past, it's likely that no one lived to tell about it."

"Swell," Jenna said. "Now what?"

Another surge of power fell from the sky, hurling the whole group several feet. The demon cackled at them but didn't show itself. Mia cast Wish again to refresh everyone, but she was immediately hit with a blow from behind. She fell into Isaac, who made an attempt to heal her but still didn't have the power for it, so Picard used Ply on her instead.

"Thank you," Isaac said to Picard.

Picard nodded. "I wish I had a Psy Crystal for you, but they're all back in the village."

"We could use about a dozen of those Crystals right now," said Sheba. "This fight isn't getting any easier."

"I'm so useless in a battle without my Psynergy," Isaac lamented quietly. "I created this thing and I can't even help you fight it!"

"Don't worry, Isaac," Mia said sweetly. "You've protected me so many times during our travels—maybe for once I can protect you."

Garet chuckled. "Hey, Isaac, I never pegged you as one to need protection from a _girl_!"

Isaac made a face. "Shut up, Garet."

"Well at least Isaac is strong enough to admit to his own limitations," said Mia, glaring at Garet.

"She's got you dead to rights there, Garet!" Jenna teased.

"Jenna, I swear," Garet growled. "One of these days…!"

They were interrupted by Despair's cackle. It formed a huge orb of energy and sent it down towards the group. The orb split off into seven smaller blasts, hitting everyone and hurling each of them in various directions. They smacked into rocks and trees with great force. And then the demon was gone without a trace again.

"This is getting old really fast," Jenna moaned. "We have to kill that beast before it beats us all to a pulp!"

"When I get my hands on that thing I'm going to rip it apart piece by piece," Garet declared, massaging his shoulder. "I can't stand dirty cheaters!"

Mia cast Wish Well, which helped a little. "Keep focused, everyone. It's waiting for us to grow impatient and catch us when we're off guard."

"How are we going to stop this thing?" Ivan wondered aloud. "None of our attacks even slow it down when they connect."

"And most of the time they aren't even connecting," Sheba added.

Picard scratched his head. "Perhaps since it behaves like a shadow, it's vulnerable to light?"

"And all of our Psynergy wasn't bright enough for it?" Jenna demanded. "Sheba's Spark Plasma is enough to give someone a seizure!"

"It was only a suggestion," said Picard.

"Come on, Isaac, think of something!" Garet half-begged. "_You're_ the tactics master!"

Isaac sighed, not wanting to tell them that he was truly clueless for a change. This demon wouldn't stop until it had destroyed every soul in its path. What could he do? He'd created this horrible thing and now he was powerless to stop it! None of his friends had been able to injure it with even their strongest attacks, and it moved too fast to rely on brute strength. _What have I done?_ he asked himself. _I brought this being into existence and now none of us can stop it! This is all my fault! If only I weren't so foolish and weak!_

"That's right, hero," Despair's voice echoed from the woods. "You will pay for your mistakes one way or the other. I'll make sure of it." Six more orbs few down from the sky, hitting everyone except for Isaac. He helplessly watched as his friends were tossed about like limp rags until they all crashed into one another several feet away. None of them moved.

"Guys!" Isaac cried. He made a move to go to them but was halted by another blast from above, knocking him down. The demon appeared before him, laughing maniacally.

"You can't do anything right!" it screeched through its laughter. "You're a useless failure and you'll never be able to protect anyone. Why didn't you just leave them behind? They'd be so much safer without you."

Something suddenly clicked in Isaac's mind. He rose and stared into the hollow red eyes, finally realizing precisely what this creature actually was. Not a "Psynergy Eater," though it had certainly begun as that. No, this thing had manifested itself into something far greater; something much more private and intimate. It was part of _him_. This monster was the physical representation of all the sorrow and regret he had carried within him for all of these years. What had once been only embers of old fears had been prodded and nourished by his self-doubting and self-hatred until it transformed into a force beyond his control. These old feelings that he'd been trying to run from for so long had surfaced in the shape of a deadly, omnipotent being, forever connected to him by his inability to fight it.

But not this time. Isaac glanced over at his fallen friends and knew that he couldn't ask for their help again. He had to destroy this demon by himself. If he let it get away, it would keep trying to consume him and vanquish whatever else fell within its reach. Tossing the Gaia Blade aside, he turned to Despair with a look of pure courage and determination in his eyes.

"Are you finally giving up?" Despair asked. "At last! I didn't think you'd ever come to your senses!"

"I'm not afraid of you anymore," Isaac said. "You stirred up all of the guilt and sorrow I've kept buried for years, thinking that I didn't have the strength to fight it. And I didn't before—I let it wrack my soul until it almost devoured me. But I'm different now, and I'm not going to run from you a moment longer. I have all the power I need to defeat you."

"Do you? And where does this new power come from, hero?"

"From my friends and Mia. They never lost faith in me even though I did. And now their power is my power, and it's all I'm going to need."

"Pathetic," the demon chortled. It gave Isaac a deadly glare. "Go ahead—give me your best shot."

Tapping into the final reserves he possessed, Isaac turned his palms skyward and started summoning all the Psynergy he could call up. The ground trembled slightly as it offered its might to its chosen guardian. Isaac glowed with golden light all over like the shining sun. Despair snickered, not moving from where it floated before him.

"Is that all you have?" it asked.

"Not quite," Isaac replied, grinning slightly. He shut his eyes and dug deeper within himself, looking for that last vein of power he knew lay hidden for dire situations. Rock fragments started to float off of the ground, reacting to the Venus Psynergy gathering nearby. The earth quaked with greater violence as Isaac's aura grew brighter and brighter, spreading out and illuminating the twilight that had settled on the forest. Now the demon's expression changed and it appeared less smug, though it still didn't move from where it was.

A short distance away, the other Adepts began to stir, feeling the vibrations from the ground. Picard was the first to look up to see the golden light and the figure forming it. The raw waves of power created a strong wind that whistled through the trees. His eyes went wide with awe and fear as he realized what was happening.

"How is he doing that?" Ivan asked. "This power is unreal!"

"It's _dangerous_!" Sheba added.

"I've never felt this much Psynergy all at once," said Jenna. "Not even from Saturos and Menardi!"

"Well if this doesn't kill that thing nothing will," Garet said.

Mia looked on with both worry and pride. She could sense a great valor within Isaac that she'd never felt before. But the aura around him was dangerously potent, and she wasn't sure if anyone could bring out that much Psynergy safely.

"Amazing…" Picard trailed, sounding mystified and frightened all at once. "I never knew the Venus Clan possessed such awesome power."

_Brighter, stronger_. Isaac felt warm and relaxed in the glow of his own power. _Beautiful_. He called out everything he had buried within him—his courage, his love, and even his sorrow and anger. All of it combined and swirled up within the golden glow. And finally, when he knew he couldn't dig any deeper, he found that last hidden pool of power. That was the final key to defeating this monster once and for all. He opened his eyes and grinned confidently at Despair, who suddenly realized what had happened.

"You're insane!" it cried. "If you release that much power all at once you'll destroy yourself as well!"

The others felt it too and jumped up. "NO!" Sheba, Jenna, Ivan and Picard shouted.

"Don't do it!" Garet yelled.

"Isaac, you can't!" Mia screamed at the top of her voice.

But their pleas went unheard. Isaac set his eyes on the monster, ready to unleash everything he had to destroy it, no matter what the cost.

"Stop!" Despair ordered. "You can't do this!"

"It ends now, demon," Isaac said. "I'm not going to let you control me anymore." He lifted his arms and pressed his palms towards his target. "You wanted my best shot so here it is. _Grand Gaia_!"

Everything seemed to happen in slow motion. The ground split open, encircling Isaac and Despair in a mighty conflagration of golden power. The glowing dome rose up and expanded from the very core of the earth itself, flattening everything it touched. Chunks of dirt, stones and broken tree branches flew through the air and the light from the Psynergy grew so bright that the other Adepts had to look away. And then a thundering crash, which shook all of the heavens, resounded from within the core of power.

"**ISAAC**!" the group shouted over the sound. They looked back at the dome, which was gradually shrinking and leaving no sign of anything in its wake. The earth had revealed its true might to aid its trusted warrior, and the light from its center was warm, beautiful, and terrifying all at once. But such power couldn't be called out without annihilating all that it touched. Everything, even the final courage of one Venus Adept came with a price.

The final flashes of light faded away as the earth sealed its power beneath its surface again. The demon was gone for good, and the only thing left in the battlefield was the one who'd slain it. Isaac was covered with dust and debris and scorched in several places from his own Psynergy. He clutched the massive bleeding wound in his chest he'd suffered during the explosion, breathing hard but smiling tiredly at his victory. _He'd won_. How sweet it was. A tranquillity unlike anything he'd ever felt settled upon his soul. It was the peace he'd needed and longed for since this madness began and he welcomed its embrace. Without a word or even a sound, he collapsed in the dirt and was still.

_Serenity._

----------------------------------------------------------------

Mia: *gasps* You killed my Isaac-chan!!

Ivan: We tried to tell you she was evil!

Sheba: Do you believe us now?

Mia: Bring him back!

Me: ^^; Mia, you're supposed to be one of the rational ones! Just get back to wherever you came from and let me keep writing—and take them with you!

Mia: …Well, all right. I suppose I should be nice to you after all the great love scenes you've given to me. But if you hurt my Isaac-chan I'm going to come back and blast you into next week!

Me: …Er, OK, I guess.

Mia: Come on you two scamps (drags Ivan + Sheba by their ears).

Sheba + Ivan: Ow, ow, ow!

Me: Sweet freedom! Next chapter—the conclusion!


	10. Absolution

So once again we arrive at the finale of one of Midnight C's goofy fanfics. I never imagined this thing would be so popular! I guess this means I should keep writing, huh? Well, I actually _do_ have some more ideas floating in my head that I'd like to flesh out, so you probably haven't seen the last of me just yet (everyone runs and hides). _Oh fine_!

And for anyone curious as to where I get inspiration, this is the single quote that helped me forge the plot for this story: _"Man…cannot learn to forget, but hangs on the past; however far or fast he runs, that chain runs with him." ~Nietzsche_

But enough of that; let's get to the goods.

***Absolution***

"Isaac…"

Slowly, the weary warrior came around, standing up and massaging his aching head at the temples. He took in his surroundings. An endless black stretched as far as his eyes could see. No light, no dark--just a vast emptiness surrounding him in all directions. It reeked of deja-vu. How many times had he found himself in one of these blank voids only to be knocked back into reality? The demon was gone, so why was he still dreaming like this?

"You aren't dreaming, Isaac. This place is as real as you wish to make it."

"I'm too tired for riddles," Isaac muttered. "Just tell me where I am and what's going on in plain English."

A warm, familiar laugh, one that he remembered better than any other, echoed from behind him. Something rumpled his hair in an affectionate gesture, and Isaac turned to meet the eyes of his father.

"Dad…" he trailed in surprise.

"Hello, son," Kyle said. "Been awhile, hasn't it?"

Isaac couldn't find his voice so he just nodded slightly. This felt so real, but it couldn't be could it? _Wait,_ he thought. _How can I be dreaming and still know that I'm dreaming? That doesn't make any sense._ Then again, very little had made sense during these past few days. He studied his father for several moments, wishing this to be real, but thinking in the pit of his heart that it was only another dream that he'd soon awaken from.

"Tell me, Isaac," Kyle began after several moments. "Why have you been blaming yourself for what happened that night?"

Isaac turned away in shame. "I'm so sorry, Dad!" he whispered with a lump in his throat. "I should've been able to do something to help that night. I stood by and watched that boulder fall and I didn't do anything to try and stop it! If I'd been faster or stronger or—"

"That's enough," his father interrupted gently. "Isaac, a fourteen year-old boy cannot be held accountable for a disaster of that magnitude. There was nothing you could've done."

"But it was so senseless! There was no reason why I couldn't have done _something_ to stop it!"

"Yes, it was senseless and pointless, and you were unfairly robbed of part of your childhood because of it. No one, least of all you, deserves something like that." He placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "But it wasn't your fault, Isaac. Please stop blaming yourself for it. You don't deserve such a painful burden."

Isaac looked hopeful. "Does that mean you forgive me?"

"There was never anything to forgive you for," said Kyle. "But if it means that much to you, then yes, I do."

Something fell away from Isaac's soul. He suddenly felt light, relieved, and—dare he say it—_happy_. He smiled slightly at his father. "Now if only I weren't dreaming," he said quietly.

"You're not dreaming. This is a limbo of sorts; a place where the soul goes after it's fled its vessel."

"Limbo?" Isaac asked in shock. "You mean I'm _dead_?!"

Kyle crossed his arms and looked thoughtful. "That depends entirely on you. You had the strength to stand up to that monster, but you can't begin to live again until you learn to move beyond the feelings that created it. If you think your life is still worth living, then you can continue to live it. But if you don't…"

"My choice then…" Isaac trailed. He had felt completely worthless when he was under the demon's power, and he'd given up the fight because of it. He'd received the forgiveness from his father that he needed, but there were still so many other mistakes to account for. Could he make amends for them? Could he continue to lead and protect his friends or were they in danger from him? He still wasn't sure.

"I don't know what the right decision is," he said. "I've made a lot of errors with some dire consequences. I don't want to hurt anyone." 

"Perhaps this will help you figure it out," said Kyle. He flicked his hand and a moving image appeared before them. It was blurry at first but then it displayed a devastated section of forest replete with broken trees and large scorch marks on the ground. A light snow drifted from the sky as if trying to hide the destruction. The image clarified a little more and six very familiar figures rushed towards something in the midst of the scarred battlefield. There was a brilliant flash of blue light, unmistakably Mia's Ply power, and then Isaac saw what his friends were gathering around—_himself_. Their voices echoed around the void.

"Isaac!" Mia cried, her eyes filled with tears. She fell to her knees and turned his motionless form into her arms.

Picard kneeled beside her and felt Isaac's neck. "I can't feel a pulse," he said in quiet shock.

"NO!" the others shouted in a combination of sorrow and disbelief. After the realization struck, the reactions were profound and heartbreaking. Jenna dropped to the ground and started crying into her hands. Sheba threw her arms around Ivan and they both trembled with tears. Mia fell into hysterical sobs, her calls to her soulmate made incomprehensible by her tears. Garet, standing at the fringe of the group, clenched his shaking hands into fists and turned away from the sight. His shoulders quivered with a sorrow that he didn't wish the others to see. Even Picard, who hadn't known the warrior very long, looked quite beside himself with grief.

"You see, Isaac," his father said softly. "You've had a powerful effect on the souls you've touched. The worst way you could ever hurt them is to leave them behind."

Isaac studied the image, feeling a shattering sadness for his friends' pain. Mia's words from before resonated in the back of his mind. _We've only survived on this quest because of your strength and your protection._ Whether that was true or not could be questioned, but he knew that his friends depended on him a great deal, and he couldn't abandon them when they still needed him. And he hated seeing Mia experiencing the same horrible, searing pain he'd felt when he thought he'd lost _her_. She didn't deserve such sorrow, none of them did, and he had the power to stop it. He wouldn't let it end this way. But going back meant saying a very difficult final farewell.

"I'm sorry, Dad," he said with a heavy heart. "But I can't stay here. I think I'm still needed elsewhere."

"That's my boy," Kyle said with a wide grin. "I'm so proud of you, Isaac. You're a wonderful young man—strong, courageous, responsible, and compassionate. Go on back to your friends and your soulmate and be happy." He sighed with a bit of longing. "Seeing you with her reminds me of your mother and I many, many years ago."

Isaac smiled and hugged his father, struggling to not get too emotional. "Thanks, Dad. I swear I won't let you down."

"You never will."

"I miss you," Isaac whispered.

"I know," said Kyle. "But I'll never be very far away, I promise."

With that, Isaac started walking deeper into the void, somehow knowing where he had to go to get back. He paused briefly to take one last look at his father, returning his sad smile, and then vanished into the blackness.

************

"Here's the last of it," said Picard, toting a huge crate towards the docks. "Where do you want it?"

"I'll take that," Isaac said. He approached Picard, but Garet promptly jumped in front of him and took the crate instead.

"Let me handle this, Isaac," he said with a grin. "I gotta pull my weight around here, right?" He grunted slightly but carried the crate towards the hold of the ship. Isaac smiled after him, running a hand through his hair. Everyone had been exceptionally nice to him since yesterday's battle and he wasn't sure how to feel about it. There was something rather odd about Garet's willingness to do heavy labor.

"Are you sure you have all the supplies you'll need?" Picard asked.

"Yes, thank you," Isaac replied. "The hold's completely full with provisions now. I think we'll be all set for quite awhile."

Picard sighed. "I wish you didn't have to leave. It seems like you just got here."

"I know," said Isaac. "But we still have a long way to go if we're going to complete our journey. Thank you for all of your help and hospitality, Picard. I wish there was some way I could repay you for everything you've done."

"No payments are necessary, Isaac. It was all my pleasure." He smiled. "It's been a very long time since I've fought beside such a fine warrior. I'm certain that you'll succeed in every task you undertake."

Isaac smiled back. "I will as long as I have them."

"That's everything," Ivan said, coming down the gangplank. "The hold's full and secure. I think we even have enough food to satisfy Garet's insatiable appetite!"

"I heard that, Ivan!" Garet growled, coming down behind him.

"Think fast!" Jenna suddenly called. A large snowball suddenly whacked Garet right in the face and she, Ivan and Sheba started giggling.

Garet wiped the snow from his eyes and set his sights on Jenna. "So _that's_ how you wanna play, huh? I'll show you!" He scooped up some snow and ran after the two girls, who shrieked and scattered, laughing the whole time. Not one to be left out, Ivan made his own snowball and took off to join the fray. Isaac watched their playful battle, smiling broadly. Somehow their carefree antics seemed so much more important after everything that had happened during the past few days. He hoped that they'd never change--that these brief moments when they could forget about the rest of the world and be themselves would keep happening again and again for as long as they lived.

Something cold and wet hit the back of his head. He turned to see Mia giggling at him. "Head's up!" she said. Isaac lifted an eyebrow, brushing the offending snow off the back of his neck and trying to suppress a chuckle. Mia went up to him and kissed his cheek, then pushed him down to the ground.

"Lady Mia!" Picard laughed, surprised at her behavior.

"What's gotten into you?" Isaac asked.

"I'm sorry, Isaac," she said with a mischievous grin. "This winter weather has a strange effect on me. Here." She extended a hand to help him up, which he took. But rather than letting her pull him up, he yanked her arm and brought her down into the snow with him. Mia growled at him playfully and pounced, pinning him underneath her. "You went and got me all wet!" she accused. "That's going to cost you dearly."

"Oh no," Isaac said in mock fear. "Have mercy, please!"

"Never!" Mia declared. She leaned down and kissed him long and slowly. "Had enough yet?"

Isaac smiled. "I'll never surrender! Give me your worst."

"You asked for it." So she kissed him again. Picard smiled down at the pair and then looked to the others. Garet had been pummeled one too many times and was face down in the powder. Jenna had seated herself triumphantly on his back and Ivan and Sheba were laughing at them uncontrollably.

"Admit it, Garet," said Jenna gleefully. "I was right when I said I could kick your ass in a fight!"

"You're a dirty cheater," Garet groaned, pulling his head out of the fluff. "And you've also been putting on weight!"

Jenna smacked him. "That's no way to talk to a lady!"

"Well, you're not much of a lady!"

"Don't make me come over there!" Isaac called to them. He and Mia got to their feet and brushed off all of the snow. Eventually, the rest of the crew gathered around the dock as well. Like it or not, they had obligations to attend to and the time had come to leave Lemuria behind.

"Well, I guess this is farewell, Picard," Isaac said. "Thank you again for all of your help."

Picard nodded sadly, shaking Isaac's hand. "Good luck to all of you. I'll never forget you."

"We won't ever forget you, either," Ivan said.

"We'll miss you, Picard," said Sheba.

"Thank you for everything," Jenna said.

"Take care," Garet added. "Watch out for monsters."

"I will," Picard replied with a small laugh.

"Goodbye, Picard," said Mia. She smiled sadly up at him. "Thank you so much."

"Lady Mia…" He kissed her hand. "I wish you all the best. I know you're in safe and capable hands."

Solemnly, the other six Adepts boarded their ship and set sail. Picard stood at the end of the dock, watching the vessel as it journeyed out of sight. He smiled to himself. "Travel well, my friends. Wherever the sea takes you, may you find everlasting prosperity and happiness."

************

As soon as Garet and Ivan were asleep, Isaac sneaked out of their cabin. He silently ascended the stairs to the main deck, wishing to get a little air since it was quite stuffy down below. The sea lay as flat and still as a mirror with no wind to stir up the surf. Nothing disturbed the sky either, and it hung above like a curtain of deep blue velvet decorated with tiny diamonds. Isaac idly strolled around the deck gazing at the calm sky, trying to ignore the biting chill in the air that cut through to his bones. His mind wandered all over the place, bouncing from his nightmares, to the demon's last stand, to the strange serenity he felt now, and then back again. It all seemed so hazy, as if everything _had_ been a long dream. Now that it was all over, the sorrow and despair were rapidly fading away. And they weren't simply being covered up again--they were truly disappearing for good. How strange it was to not feel that burden resonating deep within him anymore, and yet how wonderful it was to finally be free of it.

So many memories…they had come so close to swallowing him completely. He'd learned his lesson. He'd never allow that kind of pain to quietly build and compile until it got beyond anyone's control. There was no need, not when he had so much to live for. And while fate had been cruel in many instances, perhaps it had had a reason at least once. If he'd never ventured into Sol Sanctum, this journey never would've happened. Vale was a wonderful place, but the world beyond its gates had proven incredible in its own right. So many beautiful sights and interesting people. And if he'd never left Vale, he never would've found her. Perhaps she was fate's way of giving something back after taking so much.

The air was too cold to tolerate any longer, and he had an important appointment to keep anyway. He returned below deck, proceeding down the corridor to the Captain's cabin. He opened the door, entering almost complete darkness, and shut it very carefully and quietly behind him. A pair of smooth, slender hands touched his face and pulled him into a long, tender kiss. He embraced the warm body before him and they migrated to the bed, burrowing beneath the covers to shield themselves from the draft in the room.

"Back into our old habits, aren't we?" Mia inquired, laying her head on his chest. She breathed in that sweet, earthy scent from his skin for the first time in days.

"I hope you don't mind," Isaac said, pulling her closer.

"Not at all. Actually, I was hoping we'd have the opportunity to be alone again. I've missed you so much."

"Me too." He curled some of the silken strands around his fingers. "Mia, I wanted to thank you again for everything you said. For saving me from that demon."

"Oh, Isaac. You know I could never let anything steal you away from me. I only wish I could've prevented that whole ordeal from happening in the first place."

"That was my fault," he said. "My own inner fears and self-loathing held me back from dealing with the emotions the demon fed off of. I've learned a lesson from all of this, and it's not one I'll ever forget." He kissed her again. "I know how to fight back now. I'll never leave you behind again."

Mia squeezed him. "I'll always be here for you too, Isaac. We're soulmates, parts of the same whole, and nothing will ever be able to pull us apart. This bond we have can protect us from anything, no matter how evil. We are our own safe haven."

"A sanctuary," Isaac agreed.

She nodded slightly. They laid there together in silence, holding each other and reveling in the security of their love. It _was_ a true safe haven, completely immune from everything in this crazy mixed up world. What more could anyone ask for? What more could anyone need?

"Are you sure you're all right?" she asked.

A simple and yet very complex question. Not long ago, he wouldn't have known exactly how to answer it honestly. But now certain of his ability to protect everyone from harm, including himself, and free from the burden of guilt and sorrow that had shackled him for so long, there was no doubt in his mind about his answer. The truth he knew in the core of his soul.

"_Yes_."

*~_The End_~*

Come on, you people _must've_ known this would have a happy ending! There's no way I could put poor Isaac through all of that and not have it turn out for the best--I'm not _that_ cruel (usually…)!

And now for a few words of thanks:

To Alex and Akiko: Many thanks for your funny and insightful reviews and for graciously putting up with my evil cliffhangers. Do continue work on the few dozen fics you guys have, as I anxiously await their conclusions!

To Bar-Ohki: Novel quality? Wow, that's about the greatest thing anyone's ever said about my writing! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

To PaperCutVictim: I've set a good example by finishing all of my fics, so I'm asking you nicely to finish at least one of yours, OK? Pretty please? I don't care if it takes you an eternity, because I'm young and I'm willing to wait! ^_^

To Onyx-dreams: *with mouth full* Mmmm…good cookie. I'm terribly flattered that you find me amazing, since the feeling is mutual (I'm serious!). Anyone who can write something as funny as "Drinking Games" and then turn around and write something as moving as "The Silence is Broken" possesses a rare gift indeed. I implore you to continue writing and to finish "Silence" before I go bonkers wondering how the hell it ends!

To Triad Orion: My lord, you reviewed some chapters _twice_! I must've hit a nerve somewhere huh? Thank you so much for all of your useful (and often very amusing) reviews. My only hope is that I've provided a similar service for you. Rest assure that I will continue to follow "The Trials of Destiny," as well as those other GS fics when you get to them, and yell at you whenever you put in evil cliffhangers!

And to all the rest of you: I'm sorry that I didn't single you out by name, but it wouldn't do to make this afterward _too_ long. A thousand thanks to all of you for taking the time to read this and comment on it. I am truly grateful.

So until next time, _Ciao_! ^_^


End file.
